(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

zero deaths

Turning Point marks third anniversary of overdose prevention site opening

Oct 2, 2021 | 10:46 AM

It’s been three years since Red Deer became home to an overdose prevention site (OPS).

Operated by Turning Point Society, which has been in the community for over three decades, the OPS opened Oct. 1, 2018.

In that time, it’s been visited 116,358 times, with staff reversing 3,553 overdoses. Most importantly, there have been zero deaths.

It’s also caused great division among community members, particularly business owners in the area.

“I’m glad we’ve been able to provide this service, as it’s saved so many lives and made so many connections for people,” says Turning Point Executive Director Stacey Carmichael. referring to the site’s wrap-around supports. “That said, I look forward to the day we’re able to enhance the OPS to a SCS (supervised consumption site) that provides even more robust supports.”

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SCS would provide enhanced long-term service delivery, with resources like social work, counselling, and opioid dependency treatment — all under one roof.

When the OPS opened, Turning Point and the Alberta Government were working on bringing a full-fledged SCS to Red Deer. That process stalled when the province announced a review of SCS sites across Alberta.

“We will continue to work with a variety of stakeholders on the addition of an SCS in Red Deer,” Carmichael says. “The OPS was never intended to stay open this long, but it goes to show how essential these services are and how resilient our community is that we’ve remained operational for three years.”

Sarah Fleck, the clinical manager who oversees the OPS, says it, “will always be a safe, open, non-judgmental space and an integral part of a community solution to an ongoing opioid epidemic.”

Albertans are still dying at, “an unprecedented rate,” she adds.

“We need more open conversations, less stigma, more hope, less judgement.”

Craig Rompain, a client of the OPS, says the OPS has saved his life on multiple occasions.

“Their purpose within our community is undeniable,” says Rompain. “The OPS is absolutely vital in keeping people alive and in helping them maintain a safe practice.”

The OPS, which is located adjacent to Safe Harbour Society’s main building in Railyards, employs more than 50 people, including registered nurses, advanced care paramedics, and support staff.

“We care for and work with some of the most amazing, creative, intelligent, resilient people I have ever met,” adds Fleck. “It’s an honour to be a part of their journey, and I’m so grateful for our caring, empathetic, strong, empowering team.”

According to the Alberta Substance Use Surveillance System, last updated in September, 17 people died from opioid poisoning in Red Deer in the first five months of the year. That’s equal to the amount from Jan.-May 2020.

In total, 2020 saw 49 opioid poisoning deaths in Red Deer.

From Jan.-May 2021, there have been 576 opioid poisoning deaths across the province, up from 364 in the same timeframe last year. 2020 was the deadliest year on record in terms of opioid poisoning deaths in Alberta.