Ontario bans safe consumption sites near schools and childcare centres, 5 in Toronto to close

The Ontario government has announced new restrictions on supervised drug consumption sites, including a ban on the sites within 200 metres of schools and childcare centres, which will lead to the closure of 10 facilities.

The new provincial restrictions will include addiction recovery supports with new treatment hubs, called Homelessness and Addiction Recovery
Treatment (HART) Hubs, that will add up to 375 highly supportive housing units, in addition to addiction recovery and treatment beds.

Ontario’s Health Minister Sylvia Jones made the announcement at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

The government is also mandating new protections to better protect communities near currently active sites, including new requirements for safety and security plans.

There are currently 17 provincially regulated consumption sites in the province. Ten of them are in Toronto, and most of those are downtown.

The 10 sites that will have to close due to the new rules include five in Toronto and one in Ottawa, Kitchener, Thunder Bay, Hamilton and Guelph.

“We need to do more to protect public safety, especially for young school children, while helping people get the treatment they need, which is why we’re taking the next step to expand access to a broad range of treatment and recovery services, while keeping kids and communities safe,” said Jones in her statement.

Ontario is also introducing legislation that, if passed, prohibits municipalities from requesting the decriminalization of illegal drugs from the federal government.

The legislation would also prohibit municipalities or any organization from setting up new consumption sites or participating in federal so-called “safer” supply initiatives.

Toronto is among the municipalities which have requested Health Canada decriminalize the possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs, including heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.

Toronto Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen De Villa responded to the new restrictions, saying they are currently reviewing the announcement and “considering the details to fully understand its implications for Toronto Public Health and Toronto residents.”

She added Toronto continues to be in the midst of a drug toxicity epidemic and rates of drug toxicity overdose remain high and TPH’s recommendations on reducing harms associated with substance use are aligned with the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health.

“Toronto Public Health remains committed and ready to pursue collaborative approaches to address this critical and urgent health issue,” read Dr. De Villa’s statement.

Jones’ announcement follows two reviews of the sites that the government ordered in the wake of the killing of a Toronto woman, who was hit by a stray bullet from a shooting near one of the sites.

Karolina Huebner-Makurat had been walking through her Leslieville neighbourhood, where one of the city’s safe-injection sites is located, shortly after noon on July 7, 2023, when she was shot as a fight broke out between three alleged drug dealers.

Several arrests have since been made in connection to her death. The South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC) confirmed with CityNews that one of the individuals charged in the shooting, 23-year-old Khalila Zara Mohammed, was employed as a health worker at the time.

Some Toronto community members concerned over drug use at local sites

These sites aim to reduce the harm associated with drug use, such as overdose deaths, the spread of infectious diseases, and public drug use. The centres also often offer drug testing, clean supplies to prevent disease spread, and referrals to detox or treatment facilities. 

Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood is home to two supervised injection sites. Some residents who spoke with 680News Radio expressed their concerns ahead of Tuesday’s announcement.

“Some stealing and minor assaults here and there. Some yelling,” one resident said. “Some injections in front of my face.”

“They’re rowdy; they steal,” said another resident.

Premier Doug Ford has pulled funding from some supervised consumption sites and, in 2018, said he was “dead against” them. Ford has also previously indicated in past comments that changes to these sites are needed, referencing them as a haven for drug dealers.

Safe consumption sites are often located in areas with high rates of drug use, and on-site staff are trained to recognize the signs of overdose and are equipped with naloxone.

Proponents of the public sites say one of the primary advantages is their ability to reduce fatal overdoses. In contrast, others argue that the sites send the wrong message about drug use, normalizing it instead of encouraging people to quit.

With files from The Canadian Press