Andre Bermon –
The Ontario government has announced the pending closure of nine safe drug consumption sites, five in Toronto, which health advocates say will end services that save lives.
In response to the province’s declaration, more than a dozen health agencies from across Ontario jointly published a media statement on August 20. They argue that the decision dismisses years of research showing safe consumption sites have a wide range of benefits to those seeking treatment.
“Not only do they prevent accidental overdoses and overdose deaths, they reduce the spread of blood-borne infections such as HIV and hepatitis C through harm reduction education and supplies. They also contribute to improved health outcomes by linking clients to health and social services, while reducing public drug use and discarded equipment and alleviating the strain on emergency response services and hospital emergency rooms.”
Ward 13 Councillor Chris Moise, who chairs the city’s Board of Health, told the bridge that if facilities are closed, “people will continue to use (drugs) and continue using on our streets and in our laneways, and that’s what we don’t want, right?”
“People who are using consumption sites are being supervised,” said Moise. If there’s an overdose, health workers intervene and help them. “There is going to be a lot more overdoes,” he warned.
According to the city, 2023 saw 524 fatal toxicity deaths, almost quadrupling the number of deaths first recorded in 2015. The highest death toll was 592 in 2021. Of that total, 102 opioid related fatalities occurred in Ward 13 (Toronto Centre).
The province has announced that forthcoming legislation will ban safe consumption sites from operating within 200 metres of schools. Downtown consumption sites to close are the 168 Bathurst Street site of Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre, Regent Park Community Health Centre (465 Dundas St. E.), the 955 Queen St. E. site South Riverdale Community Health Centre, Toronto Public Health’s The Works at 277 Victoria St., and the Neighbourhood Group’s Kensington Market Overdose Prevention Site at 260 Augusta Ave.
According to the province, these locations must close by March 31, 2025. Of the five sites, four are provincially funded.
In addition, the Moss Park Overdose Prevention Site at 134 Sherbourne Street is slated to close because of a pending condominium application. The province is also banning new injection sites, which means the Moss Park facility, operated by the South Riverdale Community Health Centre, will not be allowed to relocate.
Instead of funding safe injection sites, the province says it is investing $378 million to open 19 new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs. Services at these hubs could include primary care, mental health services, addiction care and support, social services and employment support, shelter and transition beds, supportive housing, and other supplies and services like naloxone, onsite showers and food, the province said.
Within these treatment hubs are plans for 375 supportive housing units along with wrap-around addiction services.
The Ford government is pushing all provincially funded supervised consumption sites slated for closure to transition to HART Hubs, suggesting they may be eligible for increased funding along with a prioritized application process.
A statement from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health said it welcomes the government’s investment in addiction treatment hubs, but criticized the intention to close safe injection sites. The loss of these services “will cause harm to people and communities across the province.”
