Calls for new funding after N.L.’s only alcohol consumption program scrapped

After four years, Newfoundland and Labrador’s only managed alcohol consumption program will end on Friday due to a lack of sustainable funding from the province.

Courtney Clarke, executive director of the St. John’s Status of Women Council, said the safer substance use program (SSUP) has prescribed thousands of alcohol doses to people with severe alcohol dependence and in many cases, it has saved their lives.

She said the program doesn’t enable alcohol dependency, as it provides a safe place for people to consume alcohol in a controlled, managed manner. The doctors they partner with prescribe the right dosage so people don’t experience withdrawals or overdose.

Despite the high number of doses being distributed to clients, Clarke said the government wanted to see higher participation in order to continue funding the program.

“We aren’t just supplying them with alcohol, we are providing them an opportunity, meeting them where they were at and providing them with dignity and respect… to lead to a better life,” Clarke told CBC Radio’s The St. John’s Morning Show.

With no equivalent programming in the province, Clarke said there is an increased risk for a health-care crisis, hospitalization, homelessness and greater use of emergency services.

Lela Evans, minister of Health and Community Services, said the decision to “wind down” the program was made by the former Liberal government and when the Progressive Conservatives came into power last fall, they also supported the decision.

According to Evans, SSUP was a federally funded pilot program and the low participation, of two to four people, wasn’t enough of a success rate to continue funding the programming provincially.

“We want to look at best practices, how it is currently structured and what other provinces do have a higher success rate,” said Evans.

Knowing the program would be ending, Clarke said there would have been a risk to adding more participants without secure funding because it could’ve potentially meant offboarding people without proper support.

Clarke said onboarding for SSUP takes about six months, with another three months for a safe transition out.

“Without that certainty of multi-year funding, expanding a program of this risk[y] nature could mean taking on an ethical risk that could have done more harm than good,” said Clarke.

Working toward a solution

Evans said her department is supportive of harm reduction initiatives and plans to work with the St. John’s Status of Women Council to determine a path forward.

“We are going to look at what we can do to bring in managed alcohol programs and make sure they are successful,” said Evans.

Clarke said while she has had ongoing conversations with the minister and her department, right now there is no plan for another version.

But she sees the province’s open communication as a good sign and is hopeful they can reach a solution. Clarke added she would support a new managed alcohol consumption program, whether run by them or another organization.

“What matters most is that we are able to have a program that is able to work in our community for people having substance dependencies,” said Clarke.

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