The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is working to apply for a safe injection site.
Health unit CEO Theresa Marenttette said the application should be filed before the end of the year, pending approvals from Windsor City and Essex County councils.
Marentette presented the results of a recent survey on the issue to the board of directors Thursday afternoon and they showed 61 per cent of the 2,500 respondents support a safe injection site while 33 per cent oppose it, and six per cent are undecided about the matter.
Those who support the site said it saves lives, reduces dirty needles in public places, increases safety, and removes stigma surrounding drug addiction.
Those opposed said the site decreases property value, decreases public safety, and condones drug use.
Marenttette said two thirds of those opposed are first responders such as police, fire, and paramedics.
"It makes us believe that more education has to occur in our community," said Marenttette.
Marenttette said there is a lack of information and there will be more public education and consultation moving forward to remove public misconceptions about safe injection sites.
"You have to have the location determined before the application gets submitted. So, I would image that a lot of community engagement will happen," she added.
Marenttette believes the safe injection site will help addicts, reduce pressure on emergency departments, and save health care costs.
"It think it should decrease emergency department visits, it should decrease access to primary care. This site actually does a referral path and connects people to the services they need," Marenttette said.
Respondents said they need sterile needles and injection equipment along with supervision while they use drugs. The survey also showed that half of the respondents have overdosed and nine out of 10 of them were alone when it happened. Interviews were done with 99 people who inject themselves with drugs and seven out of 10 have injected alone.
A full report is expected in September.