Chatham-Kent has developed a new drug strategy to deal with the ongoing opioid crisis.
Council will hear at its meeting Monday evening that Administration is recommending $300,000 to pay a Coordinator for two years.
Chatham-Kent Director of Public Health Teresa Bendo said these strategies don't usually work unless there's a fulltime dedicated person in charge to make sure it's moving forward.
Bendo noted the effectiveness of the strategy will be regularly reviewed and recommendations on whether to keep the strategy longer will be brought back to Council for further consideration before the two-years are up.
She also said the new drug strategy was developed by using four pillars; prevention, treatment and recovery; harm reduction; and community inclusion and safety.
Council approved the drug strategy in late 2019 after a community forum on drugs earlier that year described the prevalence of opioid use and related harms in CK, but it was delayed because CK Public Health was busy dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Monday night's presentation to Council states the strategy aims for a caring, inclusive, and safe community that works together to reduce the harms, stigma and systemic barriers associated with substance use.
It adds the strategy is a collaborative community table with representation from people with substance use lived or living expertise and organizations in the public sector, not-for-profit, and private sectors.
"Drug strategy partners are committed to a collaborative, inclusive, flexible, and evidence-informed approach to address substance use related harms in the Chatham-Kent community," wrote Bendo in her report. "The collaborative partnership allows for the implementation of prioritized actions that require the collective expertise of individuals from diverse backgrounds, organizations, and sectors."
The latest data from CK Public Health shows Chatham-Kent has higher rates of opioid-related hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and deaths compared to the province. Local public health officials report the number of deaths in Chatham-Kent from opioid poisoning increased from five to 37 from 2018 to 2022.
They also say the problematic use of substances, including alcohol, cannabis, and other illicit drugs also contribute to significant health and societal harms in CK.
"In Chatham-Kent, substance use is a complex issue impacting individuals, families, and communities. COVID-19 has intensified the impacts of substance use. Specifically, data shows a substantial increase in opioid-related harms and deaths since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic," Bendo wrote. "Additionally, the presence of fentanyl, sedatives, and stimulants in post-mortem toxicology reports of fatal opioid poisonings is also more common, suggesting an increasingly volatile supply of unregulated opioids and other drugs."
CK Public Health worked with a consultant from November 2022 to March 2024 to establish a project steering committee comprised of multiple community agencies that guided the development of the new strategy.