Ontario tables bill to ban some supervised consumption sites

Ontario has tabled a bill that aims to shutter 10 supervised consumption sites that are deemed too close to schools and daycares. The bill, if passed by Premier Doug Ford’s majority Progressive Conservative government, would also require municipalities to get the health minister’s approval to apply for an exemption from the federal government to launch new supervised consumption sites.

Health Minister Sylvia Jones made it clear that under their government, there will be no further safe injection sites in the province of Ontario. This marks a significant shift away from harm reduction to an abstinence-based model. The government plans to launch 19 new “homelessness and addiction recovery treatment hubs” (HART hubs) and 375 highly supportive housing units at a cost of $378 million. These hubs are set to be operational by the end of March, when the 10 supervised consumption sites will close.

The province will make it illegal to operate a consumption site within 200 meters of a school or daycare. In total, 17 consumption and treatment services sites across Ontario are funded by the province. Seven are allowed to remain open, but one site in downtown Toronto is likely to close this spring due to the expiration of its lease.

Health-care workers, advocates, and homeless individuals have expressed concerns that the closures will lead to more deaths. Advocates have emphasized the need for harm reduction services, highlighting that supervised consumption sites save lives. The impending closures have sparked anger and protests from harm reduction advocates who believe that people will die as a result.

The bill would also require municipalities to seek provincial approval to participate in the federal safer supply program, which allows doctors to prescribe pharmaceutical-grade opioids to those with substance use disorders. Additionally, the legislation would increase penalties for using fake vehicle identification numbers and ban name changes for individuals on the provincial sex offender registry.

The government’s decision to close supervised consumption sites has sparked controversy and raised concerns about the impact on vulnerable populations. Advocates are calling for emergency plans to address the potential increase in overdoses and deaths that may result from the closures. The fate of harm reduction services in Ontario remains uncertain as the government pushes forward with its abstinence-based approach to addiction treatment.