'We're losing people': Unsanctioned overdose prevention site pops up around Windsor

A black tent has been making its way around the city this week, as a space for people to use drugs under supervision.

It's an unsanctioned site run by Windsor Overdose Prevention Society (OPS). The locations are undisclosed because the organization doesn't want run-ins with the police.

Tammy Drew, a member of Windsor OPS, said people are dying and it's time to look at other ways of dealing with the crisis outside of recovery.

"We have to look outside the box, and we have to treat the people who are also in active addiction," said Drew.

The tent is set up each night in a new location, in areas where people are known to be using drugs.

The volunteers do a sweep of the area to clean up needles on the ground, and also do some outreach to get the word out about the tent. There are naloxone kits available in the tent, as well as sharps disposal.

One youth's death

The tent is popping up after 17-year-old Josh Chouinard died from an apparent opioid overdose on Monday.

Melissa Carriere, a friend of the boy's aunt, said his death was a motivating factor for her to volunteer even more hours with Windsor OPS.

"I was a once-a-week volunteer, and now I'm trying to get out here everyday, because we couldn't save Josh, but we can maybe save someone else's child, and I think that's really important," said Carriere, who is also a social worker.

Carriere said naloxone would have saved Chouinard's life. It's a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. The kits are available for free to all people via Ontario pharmacists.

Progress on supervised injection site

The annual report of Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy (WECOSS), released in April 2019, says 3,679 naloxone kits have been distributed in 2018.

According to Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health with Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, health officials are trying to find a "long-term solution" to tackle the drug crisis. A supervised injection site is part of the considered options.

There will be a final report once the feasibility study of the SIS is complete.

WECOSS issued an alert on Wednesday that from May 26 to May 28, there were 15 drug-related emergency department visits. Ahmed said these alerts help keep people, including first responders, informed as to what's happening in the community.

Windsor OPS acknowledges that the black tent is illegal. In an email to CBC News, Sgt. Steve Betteridge with Windsor police said that the police service is dedicated to community safety.

In the past, police chief Al Frederick has said he's opposed to legal supervised injection sites in Windsor.

Despite the tent being illegal, Carriere said the site is important because people are dying.

"Because the reality is, we're losing people close to us. And it's not a street thing. It's an everyone thing," said Carriere.

"And I think that if we lost one person, that's too many. But we've lost several people, and it's preventable."