By James Peters

North Shore BIA doubles down on injection site concern

Sep 14, 2016 | 11:48 AM

KAMLOOPS — The North Shore Business Improvement Association is doubling down on its concern over an Interior Health plan to bring at least one safe drug consumption site to Kamloops.

City council gave the idea a provinsional thumbs up yesterday, voting unanimously to support the concept “in principle.”

But North Shore BIA Executive Director Steven Puhallo says he wasn’t impressed by the IH presentation.

“They said at council it will require a reallocation of funds,” said Puhallo. “Well, where are those funds coming from? We have a doctor shortage, we have lineups at our walk-in clinics. What current health program are they going to take the money from? They didn’t come up with a plan. What’s going to happen to these people after they shoot up?”

Puhallo says it’s important to have a serious conversation about saving the lives of those with addictions, but without proper planning, it isn’t yet at that stage.

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“This isn’t a serious conversation. We want to have a serious conversation about saving lives and changing the lives of people with these serious addictions. We want to sit down and talk about a serious plan and a serious budget that includes counselling, prevention, intervention, housing. Let’s talk about this.”

Puhallo adds his worries are magnified considering IH has expressed the desire to move forward within the next few months.

“What’s going to happen if they don’t have enough beds and addicts are standing there waiting to go in, and they’re just going to go around the corner. We’re right back where we started.”

“Sure, there’s a problem, but let’s have a plan to deal with the problem. This type of patchwork approach where they want to do something within the next two months isn’t going to work. It’s going to harm our neighbourhoods, it’s going to harm our businesses, and we’ll be right back where we started.”