Premier Doug Ford said he's "not sold" on supervised drug consumption sites as applications for new locations remain "on pause."
Advocates, meanwhile, decried the premier's comments as "shocking," saying these sites "save lives."
"I'm a big believer in detox beds to support people to get help. I'll be very frank, I'm not sold on these safe injection sites," Ford said at an unrelated press conference in Thunder Bay on Friday afternoon. He said neighbourhoods where these sites are located have needles "all thrown around" in them and are a "haven for drug dealers." He also cited a shooting that killed a woman outside one site last year.
The premier said he would rather put money into detox beds and supports for individuals.
"I want to help them. They say that the safe injection sites help and everything; well, the numbers don't show that," he said. "It's like putting an alcoholic outside the LCBO and telling them not to drink, but you'll get a bottle every single day — doesn't make sense."
The premier went on to say this was his "personal opinion" and that he would leave decisions on the sites up to the health minister, communities and local municipalities.
His comments come after the government launched a review of 17 consumption and treatment services (CTS) sites following a shooting outside a site in Toronto's Leslieville neighbourhood last summer. The review means pending and new applications for supervised consumption sites in the province are on hold.
"These reviews include consulting with Public Health, community engagement and are focused on enhancing accountability measures and oversight. These reviews will determine the next steps taken by the Ministry of Health including funding, location and application decisions," said Hannah Jensen, spokesperson for Health Minister Sylvia Jones in an email.
"We are working on strengthening accountability measures with existing sites, ensuring they’re living up to their requirements. We will be able to provide more details on that in the coming weeks," she said.
Some sites, including one in Sudbury, that applied to the province for funding have closed as they awaited a response to their application.
"I think Mr. Ford actually needs to be briefed by the Ministry of Health about the positive impacts of supervised consumption sites — we do know that where they are located, we've seen a reduction in overdose deaths and they are effective at reducing the transmission of HIV and Hepatitis C," said Zoë Dodd, co-organizer of the Toronto Overdose Prevention Society.
Dodd called the premier's comments about alcoholics "shocking."
"People don't actually get the drugs that they're using inside a supervised consumption site, people go there with pre-obtained drugs to use within the site," she said. "They save lives."
She said while it is "abhorrent" that a woman died outside one of the sites, "it is equally abhorrent if we close services and let people die, which is what can happen in the midst of a toxic drug death crisis."
Nicholas Boyce, policy director with the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, agreed, saying he doesn't think the premier has been listening to people, including health officials and municipal leaders who have advocated for these sites.
"There's a philosophical misunderstanding of what these sites do," said Boyce.
Referring to Ford's support of detox beds, Boyce said these are important and should be scaled up. But this can't be done in isolation, he added.
"Harm reduction sites like supervised consumption sites go hand in hand with detox, you can't have one without the other," Boyce said.
