The Ontario government intends on closing down supervised consumption sites (SCS) for drug users close to schools and will stop new ones from being set up near them. The Office of the Premier of Ontario (OPO) confirmed the decision to CP24 on Tuesday. Under these changes, any SCS location within 200 metres of a school will be closed. To promote recovery, new locations will be expected to prioritize support and treatment for drug users. Harm reduction supporters have said they can be used to stop opioid-related deaths, which toxic drug supplies have sent skyrocketing in the last few years. At Toronto’s SCS locations, people come with their own drugs to use in a clinical space around healthcare workers, who can offer treatment if overdoses happen. Additionally, they offer drug users access to health and social services.The first one opened in Toronto in 2017, and there are 10 operating in the city. The Ontario government provides six of these locations with funding. While the Ontario government had supported them, it started to change its opinion when Toronto resident Caroline Huebner-Makurat was fatally hit by a stray bullet near one of them near Queen St. and Carlaw Ave. in Leslieville in 2023. The Toronto Police Service (TPS) said an altercation between three males had started, which led to violence breaking out. Since the shooting happened, two suspects have been charged with it. TPS said it believes the third suspect has fled Canada. An SCS employee was charged with one count of accessory after the fact to an indictable offence and one count of obstruction of justice over the shooting. However, it has not said how the employee was involved with the shooting. While Leslieville residents were disturbed by the shooting, they had complained about open air drug use, aggressive actions, and drug products around it. Because housing and mental health crises have ravaged Canada, harm reduction supporters have said the services offered at SCS locations have been less effective. The OPO said more details about the changes will be announced by Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones Tuesday afternoon when she speaks at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario Conference in Ottawa.This ordeal comes after the Alberta government reached an agreement with the Ontario and Saskatchewan governments in April to take a shared approach to addressing the addictions crisis when it comes to recovery. READ MORE: Alberta government establishes deal with Ontario, Saskatchewan on recovery“Today’s press conference announcement follows earlier this week where Alberta announced a $1.13 billion focus on mental health and addiction in the new health organization of Recovery Alberta and also the evidence-based policymaking evaluation organization of the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence,” said Alberta Mental Health and Addictions Minister Dan Williams. “Today, we are in the second day of the largest Recovery Capital Conference in Canada’s history, where 2,000 Canadian and international participants have come to Alberta to share stories, to learn best practices and focus on the best way for us to move forward focusing on how to get recovery into our healthcare system, into our communities, and respond to the deadly disease of addiction.”
