Indo-Canadian Voice
Richmond City Council in a statement on Monday that was delivered by Mayor Malcolm Brodie at its meeting said that there will be no further discussion on the possibility of a supervised consumption site.
The statement said: “On February 13, City Council adopted a resolution by a vote of 7-2 to study the feasibility of a supervised consumption site located at the hospital in Richmond.
“The resolution did not state that the City would establish a site. Council has no legal ability to do that – only Vancouver Coastal Health can do this with the approval of Health Canada.
“Vancouver Coastal Health has now publicly stated it will not open a supervised consumption site in Richmond. That means the discussion on whether there will be a supervised consumption site in Richmond is closed. There will be no site and no further discussion by Council on the matter.
“In discussing this decision, it is important to note that the operators of supervised consumption sites do not hand out drugs to people. Nor do they encourage drug use by children or non-drug users.
“A supervised consumption site assists with addiction treatment and recovery services. A site does help to reduce overdose deaths. Twenty-six Richmond residents died from a drug overdose in 2023. Others will likely die this year.
“Keeping our community safe is paramount, and Council will always explore ways to do that. However, there will be no further discussion on the possibility of a supervised consumption site in Richmond.” …