News Archive
SubscribePartners Invite Community to Share Thoughts, Learn and Make a Difference
LONDON, ON – London and Middlesex County residents will soon have the opportunity to comment on the draft recommendations that will form the foundation of a long-term, comprehensive strategy to address local substance use. A community partnership that includes representatives from the health, education and social services sectors, as well as from law enforcement, the private sector, municipal government and people with lived experience, has been hard at work for the last several months. Led by the Middlesex-London Community Drug and Alcohol Strategy (CDAS) Steering Committee, the group will be hosting a series of drop-in information and feedback sessions that will provide an opportunity to learn more and share thoughts that will shape the final strategy for the community.
Media Advisory: Temporary Overdose Prevention Site to Open Monday Morning
London, ON – Ontario’s first legal Temporary Overdose Prevention Site (TOPS) opens its doors on Monday, February 12th. The site at 186 King Street was announced at a news conference on January 19th, along with $130,000 in provincial funding and the granting of an exemption under the criminal code. The TOPS will be imbedded within the Regional HIV/AIDS Connection; which is also one of the sites of the Counterpoint Needle and Syringe Program and is already familiar for people who inject drugs.
Call for Frigid Overnight Temperatures Leads to Latest Cold Weather Alert
With the mercury expected to dip back down to its -15C threshold tonight, and to remain as cold for the next three nights, the Middlesex-London Health Unit is issuing the fifth Cold Weather Alert of 2018. With this latest alert, the Health Unit is reminding those planning to spend time outdoors to take precautions and dress for the conditions to avoid possible cold-related injuries. The alert is expected to remain in place until Saturday, February 10th, when the Environment Canada forecast calls for overnight low temperatures to reach -8C.
Dropping Temperatures Tonight, Continued Cold This Weekend Prompt Cold Alert
London, ON – With the current Environment Canada forecast calling for temperatures to drop quickly tonight, and to reach -15C overnight this weekend, frigid temperatures are returning to the Middlesex-London region. The Middlesex-London Health Unit is issuing a Cold Weather Alert that will be in effect starting tonight and continuing until Monday.
National Non-Smoking Week: Smoke Is Smoke – Limit Your Exposure
London, ON – National Non-Smoking Week kicks off today with a reminder that smoke is smoke, whether it comes from tobacco, cannabis (marijuana) or from a hookah pipe, and your best defense is to limit your exposure. With new regulations contained within Ontario’s Cannabis Act and the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 being posted for public comment, this week is a great time to talk about the dangers of smoke, regardless of its source.
Temporary Overdose Prevention Site to Open in Downtown London
London, ON – A new tool in the struggle to solve London’s opioid drug crisis is closer to reality this morning. One week after submitting an application and two days after police announced three deaths and two hospitalizations from suspected drug overdoses this week, it was announced that a Temporary Overdose Prevention Site (TOPS) has been approved to open in the downtown core. The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has approved the application for a TOPS with one-time funding of $130,700. The TOPS will be located at 186 King Street and will share space with Regional HIV/AIDS Connection. As the Counterpoint Needle and Syringe Program currently operates there, the TOPS location is already familiar to people who use injection drugs.
Health Unit and Partners to Announce Location of Temporary Overdose Prevention Site
The Middlesex-London Health Unit and several of its partners will announce details about the location of London’s first proposed Temporary Overdose Prevention Site (TOPS). The opening of the TOPS in London is pending approval of the application the Health Unit submitted for the site on Friday, January 12th. Once operational, the TOPS will provide those who use injection drugs with a temporary location where they can use those drugs under supervision and be monitored in order to prevent overdose deaths.
Health Unit Releases Public Consultation Report on Supervised Consumption Facilities
When it comes to a critical tool in the fight against London’s opioid drug crisis, local residents have made their voices heard. The Middlesex-London Health Unit released today the report by the Centre for Organizational Effectiveness on public consultations about Supervised Consumption Facilities (SCFs). The data was gathered from 334 people who took part in nine consultations held in November; as well as the more than 2,000 responses to an online survey and four focus groups that included 56 participants representing the Indigenous community, peers and professionals. The report is an important component of the application that will be made to the Federal Government to sanction one or more SCFs in London.
Frigid Overnight Temperatures This Weekend Prompt Cold Alert
With the current Environment Canada forecast calling for overnight temperatures to reach a low of -18C this weekend, the Middlesex-London Health Unit is issuing a Cold Weather Alert and advising local agencies that provide shelter and assistance to the homeless to prepare for an increase in demand for their services. The Cold Weather Alert will be in effect starting tomorrow evening and continuing until Monday.
Health Unit and Partners Prepare To Take Next Step In Local Opioid Crisis Fight
London, ON – Earlier today, the Middlesex-London Health Unit and its partners submitted the first application for a Temporary Overdose Prevention Site (TOPS) in Ontario. With data gathered during public consultations and the recent acknowledgement of a provincial public health emergency, this will herald the next phase of the local drug crisis fight.