Injection sites for Surrey?

Photo: The Canadian Press

Two supervised-consumption sites have been proposed for Surrey in an effort to curb a spike in the number of fatal overdoses.

Health Minister Terry Lake says in a news release that strong evidence from Vancouver's Insite suggests providing people with a place to inject drugs reduces overdoses and the transmission of diseases.

Fraser Health says it would integrate supervised-consumption services into existing health-care facilities and provide drug users with suboxone and methadone in an effort to treat opioid addiction.

The health authority says the proposed sites are the result of consultation with the City of Surrey, the RCMP, the Surrey Board of Trade, the Surrey School District and potential users of the service.

It plans to host information sessions for residents in the proposed neighbourhoods before filing applications with the federal government to open the sites, similar to those other cities in B.C. are hoping to make available for chronic addicts.

Fraser Health says it also expects to provide access to opioid-substitution treatment in Maple Ridge and Abbotsford in the next few months.