While the opioid crisis is said to be getting better, it is still a public health emergency, and the Port Alberni Community Action Team is hosting a public information session tonight.
Coordinator Mark Lacroix says the Overdose Prevention Site is an important weapon in the battle against opioid overdoses.
“This is a best-practice for decreasing the number of overdose deaths, but also the best-practice for harm reduction which decreases the stress on society as a whole,” he said.
The latest data from the B-C Coroners Service says 690 people died from illicit drugs in the first eight months of this year.
Lacroix says 8 people have died in Port Alberni of overdoses during the past 12 months, with most of them being men using drugs at home alone.
Lacroix says Mid-Island Medical Health Officer Dr. Paul Hasselback will have the latests statistics to present at the meeting, that starts at 6:30 tonight.
