By Cecilia Nasmith/Northumberland 89.7 FM/Today’s Northumberland
Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland received a personal invitation to be part of the Haliburton Kawartha Lakes Northumberland Drug Strategy, following their presentation to Northumberland County council Wednesday.
Chair Dane Record and co-chair Kate Hall repeated the presentation they gave earlier in December to council’s Public Health Committee setting out the four-pillar approach to addressing the drug poisoning crisis, the four pillars being Prevention and Education, Treatment, Harm Reduction and Public Safety.
“The health unit is always looking at health-focused goals. How does the health unit decide whose health-focused goals are a priority?” Cleveland asked afterwards.
“What happens when the health-focused goals for an individual in our community who is suffering from addiction go against the health-focused goals of a community at large. Whose health-focused goals matter more?”
“Ontario public health standards come from the Ministry of Health,” Hall explained.
“We are mandated to supply services and supports. Direction and guidance for those health workers come to us in terms of our direction and our programming.”
Cleveland pointed out that the province is moving away from the safe-supply methodology to a priority of safer communities, and asked why they haven’t followed suit.
“I suspect it’s because the policy hasn’t had the chance to trickle down from what we are hearing from the premier and members of cabinet,” Warden Brian Ostrander said.
“We receive guidance from the Ministry of Health. It’s still a mandated program we deliver, to bring partners around the table and have these conversations,” Hall added.
“In Cobourg, our streets are not safe for our children and our seniors because of the drug issue,” Cleveland said.
“I’m trying to understand the safe supply – how much money is being spent to hand out free drugs in our community? I don’t see that as a plan. I see it as doing what we have been doing, with no effect and no success.”
“This is a situational assessment. It’s not an operational plan,” Hall replied.
“The report is meant to bring light to the situation and for us to be able to talk about it and make a plan.”
Record acknowledged Cleveland’s voice as that of the lead elected official of his community.
“Come to the table,” he invited
“Be an active participant with the HKLN Drug Strategy. There’s an active role you can play in looking at some of the finer details.”
“Not only do I accept, I look forward to the invitation,” Cleveland said, asking if there was indeed the opportunity for this council to add members of this council to be included.
“I would 100% be interested in attending. I look forward to that opportunity in the future,” Deputy Warden Olena Hankivsky said.
Councillor Mandy Martin noticed that the progress being made in Northumberland in bringing down deaths is outpacing that of Kawartha Lakes.
“Thank you for highlighting the improvements that have been happening in Northumberland County,” Record said, citing greater collaboration and communication that have been part of the drug strategy, as well as the efforts of the police in response to drug poisonings and in diversions that might have significant effects. As well, strategizing that includes people with lived and living experience of the issue makes for more effective policy.
