Studies, Reviews and Reports

Here you can find Waterloo Region substance use-related reports and studies from a variety of authors. Reports are organized by topic and available in PDF format.

Safer Supply

Sanguen Health Centre in partnership with The Working Centre offers the life saving Safer Supply service "in response to the drug poisoning crisis with an objective of reducing overdose-related harm and overdose death in the Kitchener-Waterloo Community." (Sanguen Health Centre, 2024). In September 2023 two evaluation reports were released on the impact(s) of the program:

• Outcomes from the Safer Supply Program in Kitchener-Waterloo (September, 2023). This report focuses on outcomes for clients who participated in the Safer Supply Program with regards to influence on "overdose risk and unregulated drug use, physical and mental health, and access to health and social services outcomes, social determinants of health outcomes, and stability outcomes." A summary of the report can be found here.
• The Kitchener-Waterloo Safer Supply Program: A Collaborative Model of Care (September, 2023). This report focuses on the collaborative care model used in the Kitchener-Waterloo Safer Supply Program based on the experiences of "clients, internal service providers (staff of Sanguen Health Centre who directly provide safer supply programming), and external service providers (staff members from partner organizations who work in collaboration with the SSP)." A summary of the report can be found here.

Naloxone

• Naloxone Distribution Programs in Waterloo region: A One Year Review (2015). This report reviews the results of data collection and analysis from Region of Waterloo Public Health and Sanguen's naloxone distribution programs from June 2014 to June 2015.

Opioids

• Waterloo Region Opioid Response Plan (2018). This report details the community's comprehensive and integrated response to opioid issues. The content reflects the current status of Waterloo Region's response to opioid-related issues as of June 2018. It also includes strategies that have been proposed to address the opioid crisis more comprehensively.
• Behind the Prescriptions – A Snapshot of Opioid Use Across all Ontarians (2017). This report from the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN) describes characteristics and patterns of opioid use in the entire population of Ontario, including demographics, use of health services and geographic variations.

Substance Use in Waterloo Region

• Waterloo Region Substance Use Study (2017). This report outlines the results of a Region-wide substance use study and provides information on substance use trends, drug-related health issues, current needs of individuals who use substances and strategies to improve the health of people who use substances.

Harm Reduction

• Waterloo Region Supervised Injection Services Feasibility Study (2018). Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services undertook a many-sided research study to determine the feasibility of supervised injection services for Waterloo Region. This study outlines the key findings. The SIS Feasibility Study Infographic that summarizes the results of the SIS Feasibility Study is also available.
• Enhancing Harm Reduction Services in Waterloo Region (2017). This report provides an overview of problematic substance use in Waterloo Region, demonstrates the need for enhanced harm reduction services and presents options for addressing the current opioid crisis, including exploring the need for a supervised injection service.

Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy

• Statement on the Announced Closure of Consumption and Treatment Services in Ontario (2024). The WRIDS is deeply dismayed by the Government of Ontario's decision to close supervised consumption sites (SCS) including the only Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) in our region. The WRIDS affirms that SCS are backed by a robust base of evidence and urges the government to revise the decision to prohibit lifesaving harm reduction supports.
• Drug Poisoning Awareness Day 2024 Key Messages (2024). On International Overdose Awareness Day 2024 the WRIDS Steering Committee reaffirms the need for voluntary evidence-based harm reduction supports for people who use drugs as a cornerstone of a health approach to substance use.
• Statement of Support for the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition's Open Letter: Supervised Consumption Services site closures due to lack of funding from Ministry of Health (2024). The WRIDS Steering Committee officially endorses the calls to action regarding access to lifesaving supervised consumption services (SCS) in the province of Ontario as outlined by the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition.
• Drug Policy Solutions: Reducing Drug Poisoning in Waterloo Region (2022). This report outlines four policy recommendations, including the decriminalization of simple possession, that are proposed to reduce drug poisoning deaths and injuries in Waterloo Region.
• Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy: 2020 Report to the Community. This report is the WRIDS first annual report, it provides an overview of the activities, highlights, and challenges that the WRIDS faced over 2020. 
• Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy Statement in Support of Safe Supply (2020). On November 16th, the WRIDS Steering Committee officially adopted a statement in support of safe supply. 
• WRIDS Evaluation (2018). This report summarizes evaluation work undertaken by an independent consultant to identify where and how the collaborative is making progress and the early impacts of the WRIDS in Waterloo Region.
• Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy: Summary Report 2015-2017. This report summarizes the activities of the WRIDS from 2015-2017. It also includes successes, challenges and opportunities for growth as they relate to the Drug Strategy's work.
• Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy: Evaluation Framework (2016). This report outlines the collective impact approach taken by the Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy, an evaluation framework, and a theory of change.