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.”
Earlier, Brodie in a letter to the editor had stated: “I am writing to clarify the events of February 12-13 at City Council when a resolution was adopted by a 7-2 vote to study the feasibility of a supervised consumption site located at the hospital in Richmond. The issue came forward to Council after 26 residents died from drug overdoses in 2023. Sadly, more will likely die this year.
“The resolution did not propose that a site be established by the City, because Council has no legal ability to do that. However, Council wanted to investigate the viability of such a site located at the hospital and see if it would assist in mitigating our growing overdose crisis. If such a site was eventually approved, it would be the responsibility of Vancouver Coastal Health, which has now stated it will not open a supervised consumption site in Richmond.
“There was much interest on the matter shown by residents – some against and some in support. In the end, seven members of Council supported the Motion to study the feasibility of such a site.
“Regrettably, drug use is a reality in every community in B.C., especially following drug decriminalization by senior government. However, the discussion is closed on the investigation of whether a supervised consumption site is viable here. There will be no more investigation. In the broader perspective, I believe that by working together as a community, we can find solutions to keep Richmond the safe, vibrant, inclusive city we are proud to call home.’
