Action Alert: Closing supervised consumption services sites will cost lives, Premier!

Premier Doug Ford’s government is moving to close supervised consumptions services (SCS) sites following an announcement on March 13, 2026, transitioning Ontarians to Homeless, Addiction and Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs. If this decision proceeds, people will die. That is not rhetoric – it is reality.

Ontario is in the grip of a toxic drug crisis. Every day, nurses, outreach workers, and emergency responders confront the consequences of a poisoned supply and a system already stretched thin. SCS sites are one of the few interventions proven to reduce overdose deaths, prevent infections and connect people to care. Removing them does not eliminate drug use – it only ensures that it happens alone behind closed doors, where overdoses are far more likely to be fatal.

These are not abstract “programs.” They are lifelines – places where people are kept alive long enough to have a chance at recovery. Defunding SCS sites withdraws care from the very people who need it most. It also promotes the questionable premise that removing services will somehow “solve” the crisis.

The Ford government has pointed to its Homeless, and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs as the path forward. While these hubs may have value, positioning them as a replacement for SCS reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the crisis. HART hubs do not offer the services that save lives in real time, such as needle exchange programs or immediate overdose prevention.

SCSs are not about enabling drug use. They are about preserving life and dignity, reducing harm, and creating pathways to treatment. They are part of a continuum of care – one that collapses when any critical piece is removed.

RNAO is urging Premier Ford to reverse this decision. For the sake of those at risk, nothing else will suffice.

Please sign this Action Alert urgently!