Prince Edward County’s councillors are supporting an expansion of addictions services in the region.
Brandi Hodge, executive director for the United Way Hastings Prince Edward, made a brief presentation to councillors during Thursday’s Committee of the Whole meeting.
During her presentation, she highlighted the problems with local addictions care. She says that due to historic under-funding, the resources needed to effectively treat people caught up in addictions don’t exist in the region.
Currently, opioid mortality rates are 67% higher than in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton and North Bay. Belleville remains in a state of emergency which began in February when a string of overdoses surged through the homeless population and stretched emergency responders to their limit.
In response to the need for new addictions care, the United Way and other community organizations have begun work on a network of addiction supports. Currently the initiative remains only partially funded.
Hodge ended her presentation by urging councillors to demand the province fund their proposal for new addictions care in the area. The request would see this initiative funded separately from the recently announced provincial plan to establish new addictions care in certain Ontario communities.
The committee moved that the mayor would write a letter of support for the initiative. The motion passed unanimously and was sent to council for final approval.
