Supplied by Algoma Family Services…

Sault Ste. Marie, ON, April 29th, 2019: The Sault Ste. Marie and Area Drug Strategy
Committee is pleased to announce the launch of its “Call To Action”, a report on the
current state of the harms associated with substance use in our area. The report will be
released to the public and community stakeholders this Wednesday, May 1st, at 5 PM in
the Sault Ste. Marie Room at Algoma Public Health on Willow Ave. All are invited to
attend.
Over the past six years, front-line workers and managers from 20 plus service providers
working in addiction treatment, harm reduction, justice and enforcement, as well as,
prevention and education, have been coming together to collaborate on reducing the
harms associated with substance use in our community. Over the past year, Algoma
Family Services as the lead agency through funding from the Sault Ste. Marie District
Social Services Administration Board has worked with the SSM and Area Drug Strategy
Committee in gathering data, completing a literature review, interviewing service users
and providers; as well as learning from the 37 other drug strategies around the province
to produce this “Call To Action”. The report outlines a strategy of how stakeholders are
attending to the substance use challenges in our community and the work required to
make further progress. With 62 recommendations, distilled down to 11 priorities, the
Drug Strategy Coordinator, Charles Shamess, will work with the Drug Strategy
Committee and community stakeholders to develop a work plan that will be accessible
to the public through a soon to be released website. For the first time, the community
at large will have access to the work being completed across our community service
systems to address the substance use challenges we are facing.