Posted: August 30 2024
Author: CBC News featuring Dan Werb

Ontario’s closure of 10 drug consumption sites defies expert advice

The Ontario government is shutting down 10 supervised drug consumption sites, including one in Thunder Bay that Vanessa Tuan credits with saving her life. The closures are partly in response to a tragedy in Toronto, where a mother was shot near a consumption site. Despite expert recommendations to expand these sites as essential public health services, Premier Doug Ford’s government decided to close them, citing their proximity to schools and childcare facilities. Advocates like Dan Werb argue that shutting these sites will lead to increased public drug use, questioning the effectiveness of the government’s plan to replace them with addiction treatment hubs that won’t allow drug consumption.

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