The POUNDS Project
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PRINCE GEORGE – The POUNDS Project, or Preventing Overdose, UNDoing Stigma, is a local harm reduction initiative to address the ongoing opioid crisis in British Columbia. An information session and open house about the new program was held on Sunday at the Fire-Pit Cultural Drop-In Center for the entire community.
Aimed to start in November 2018, the POUNDS Project will offer mobile monitored consumption services for people who use substances, providing a service similar to existing Overdose Prevention Sites, but one that meets individuals wherever they need including homes to monitor and reverse any potential overdoses. Other services offered by the program will include Take Home Naloxone training and distribution, fentanyl testing, and hazardous waste/sharps pick-up. Of note, this will be the first overdose prevention service in Prince George that is accessible to individuals who smoke substances. The service will be available outside the hours of the local Overdose Prevention Site.
Jordan Harris, the Executive Director of the POUNDS Project explains why this project means so much to her.
“I’ve been working in the field of harm reduction for about a year now and in that time I have seen a crazy number of deaths and these are people that I’ve really grown to care about and have a lot of value. That just repeated heartbreak is… I just feel like I have to do something so we are going to try this.”
