Ontario to close supervised consumption sites near schools
CTV
The Ontario government is moving to close supervised consumption sites for drug users near schools and prohibit any new ones from being built near schools as well.
The Ontario government is moving to close supervised consumption sites for drug users near schools and prohibit any new ones from being built near schools as well.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford's office confirmed the move to CP24 Tuesday.
The changes will mean that any site within 200 metres of a school will no longer be permitted.
At the same time, new centres will be built with a focus on support and treatment for those who use drugs.
Harm reduction advocates have championed supervised consumption sites as a way to help mitigate opioid-related deaths, which have surged in recent years as drug supplies have become less safe.
Toronto's supervised consumption sites allow people to bring their own drugs for use within a clinical space, in the presence of trained health professionals who can provide treatment immediately in the case of an overdose. The sites also connect drug users with health and social services.
The first site opened in Toronto in 2017 and there are currently 10 sites providing service in Toronto. Six of them provincially designated Consumption and Treatment Service sites funded by the province.
