Grant: Operating Grant: Evaluation of Interventions to Address the Opioid Crisis

Opioid overdose is a current public health crisis in Canada. Overdose prevention sites (OPS) are spaces where people who use drugs can obtain sterile equipment and can inject, smoke, or snort drugs under the supervision of trained volunteers and/or staff who are able to respond in the event of a medical emergency. As of July 2018, four OPS have been established in Toronto; more than any other city in Ontario and have already demonstrated high volume of use and a significant impact on reversing overdoses. The goal of the proposed research is to measure how, why, for whom and under what circumstances overdose prevention sites (OPS) work in Toronto. The program evaluation will focus on the effectiveness of OPS as a public health response to the current opioid overdose crisis by measuring how the various OPS models meet the needs of diverse populations in the city and assessing current program and service barriers impacting these groups. The proposed study will build on strong, existing partnerships between the research team, community partners and knowledge users and will contribute to a significant research and knowledge gap. In the context of recent policy responses impacting OPS in Ontario, the proposed evaluation is of critical and timely importance that can lives.