Inside the Only Supervised Consumption Site in Canada's North | The Walrus

"To protect your privacy, you'll be asked to pick a code name-favourite movie characters or favourite foods are popular choices. If it's your first visit, you'll do a brief intake at the welcome desk, where staff will ask if you have any medical conditions or have had any bad drug reactions. They'll also ask which drug you're using that day, and whether you'd like the substance checked to confirm that you're consuming what you think you're consuming."

"Then you'll queue for one of the three tables in the smoking room or one of five injection booths. Here, smoking dominates-about 95 percent of consumption is by inhalation. Crack cocaine is the substance of choice, followed by crack with fentanyl, then fentanyl. The smoking room has three stainless steel tables and an intercom. Staff supervise through a large window. You can play whatever you want on the radio."

Visitors enter at 6189 Sixth Avenue in Whitehorse, ring a doorbell, and pick a code name for privacy. First visits include an intake asking about medical conditions, past bad drug reactions, and whether the visitor wants drug checking. The facility has three smoking tables and five injection booths, with about 95 percent of consumption by inhalation; crack cocaine, crack with fentanyl, and fentanyl are most common. Supervision occurs through a window, with a ten-minute timed smoking period followed by thirty-minute observation in a chill-out area. Staff are trained in first aid, CPR, and basic life support. The centre is the only supervised consumption site in Canada's North and serves as a critical defense against overdose deaths in the Yukon.

Read at The Walrus