British ColumbiaIsland Health has opened a new supervised drug inhalation site in the Comox Valley, on mid-Vancouver Island — a service that the health authority and advocates say has been badly needed in the community. Former drug user says the service has been needed for a long timeMaryse Zeidler · CBC News · Posted: Oct 22, 2025 12:12 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoThe new overdose prevention site in Courtenay, B.C., is just around the corner from where another used to be but now offers inhalation services as well. (Maryse Zeidler/CBC)Island Health has opened a new, supervised drug inhalation site in the Comox Valley, on mid-Vancouver Island — a service that the health authority and advocates say was badly needed in the community. The small, non-descript building in downtown Courtenay, B.C., is just around the corner from the former overdose prevention site. The new space includes a room that can accommodate up to 12 people inhaling illicit drugs, a service that wasn’t previously on offer. Similar to the old space, the new site has a drug injection area. “There’s more of a focus towards inhalation, so smoking the substances instead of injection, so that has led to the need to have expanded service,” said Shelley Garneau, Island Health’s manager of the site.”Because of the toxic drug crisis, we’re wanting to be able to provide the services to meet the needs of the people who are actually using the substances.”WATCH | A look inside the new site:Take a tour of the new supervised inhalation site in Courtenay, B.C.Island Health manager Shelley Garneau offers a tour of the new overdose prevention site in Courtenay, on Vancouver Island. The site now includes 12 spaces for drug inhalation in addition to the two injection sites offered before. According to the latest data from the B.C. Coroner’s Service, 68 per cent of unregulated drug deaths in August were from drugs that were smoked. The B.C. Coroner’s Service says last year 2,253 people were killed by unregulated drugs in B.C. Read more stories from Vancouver IslandSixth inhalation siteThis is Island Health’s sixth drug inhalation site on Vancouver Island, and it will be operated by Victoria-based group SOLID. The inhalation room and two injection stalls are supervised by trained staff. Island Health’s Shelley Garneau, left, and Julie Lajeunesse stand inside the drug inhalation room at Courtenay’s new supervised consumption site. (Maryse Zeidler/CBC)In the event of an overdose in the inhalation room, Garneau says staff can activate a special ventilation system that will suck out smoke and substances within a minute, after which staff can don protective equipment and safely enter the room to help the person in distress. The site also offers harm reduction supplies and access to social services. SOLID manager Fred Cameron says the team of five or six people staffing the site will include ambassadors who manage site users and who keep an eye on the space immediately outside of the building. ‘I was devastated’Courtenay resident Taija McLuckie, who has lived experience of drug use, says she pushed for Island Health to open a drug inhalation site after the death of a close friend a few years ago. “I was angry and I was devastated,” McLuckie said. Courtenay resident Taija McLuckie says she’s been pushing Island Health to open a drug inhalation site in the area. (Maryse Zeidler/CBC)McLuckie says it’s important for everyone in the community to feel safe — families, business owners and people who use drugs. The Comox Valley has needed a supervised inhalation site for years, McLuckie says, and many lives have been lost during that time.”We needed it a long time ago,” she said. “I wish it happened sooner ’cause maybe some of our friends would still be here.”ABOUT THE AUTHORMaryse Zeidler is an award-winning reporter who covers news from Nanaimo and north Vancouver Island. Have a news tip? You can reach her at maryse.zeidler@cbc.ca.
New supervised drug inhalation site opens on Vancouver Island
