Prominent Torontonians oppose Ford's decision to gut supervised consumption services

RNAO's CEO is one of many prominent Torontonians that signed this statement.

We are a group of Torontonians united in opposition to Premier Doug Ford’s decision to close 10 of Ontario’s 23 supervised consumption sites. As individuals who have played a strong role in various aspects of public policy and public discourse, we believe this decision is misguided and represents failed policy. We urge the government to reverse this course of action and instead strengthen, not eliminate, this crucial harm reduction service, which is a key part of a comprehensive response to substance use and the overdose crisis.

We acknowledge the concerns regarding community safety related to drug use. However, reducing risk for people who use substances by providing supervised consumption sites also enhances safety for the wider community. To date, peer-reviewed research (1) has found no evidence linking safe consumption sites to increased crime. One US study found (2) that documented criminal activity decreased in the area around a safe consumption site in the five years following the opening. Another US study (3)of two government-sanctioned overdose prevention centres found they were not associated with significant changes in measures of crime or disorder. From these studies, it appears that supervised consumption sites can reduce public drug use and related litter, while not contributing to increases in crime—if they are sufficiently resourced. These facilities provide a safe and supervised environment for drug use, which reduces the need for people who are homeless to inject in public places. This, too, can lead to a decrease in certain types of public disorder. Indeed, a day after Premier Ford’s announcement, data demonstrated that many crime indicators had actually decreased or remained stable in neighbourhoods with supervised consumption sites. (4) The only increase noted - a moderate increase in violent crime - was part of a systemic trend and was lower than those areas that did not have safe consumption site present.
 
Could security be enhanced at certain sites? Certainly. It’s important to note, though, that many sites in Ontario have not faced security complaints. Effective policy requires adequate funding for security measures – something the government has failed to provide. Security should protect both the people using the supervised consumption site – ensuring they can access services without fear – and the surrounding communities.
 
The shortcomings in services stem from failures in government policy – primarily an arbitrary limit on the number of sites, inadequate funding, and restrictions on the types of services provided. Although the government claims the focus of intervention should be treatment and not harm reduction, it has refused to meaningfully fund integrated treatment services. Now, this government proposes to close many supervised consumption sites and focus only on treatment. This is a mistake: harm reduction and treatment services should work in tandem and there is no medical or scientific rationale for suggesting that it is an ‘either/or’ decision. A comprehensive and effective response to substance use requires harm reduction, treatment, and housing. The government should reinforce supervised consumption sites and add linked treatment resources, enabling these sites to serve as pathways to addiction treatment and recovery support for those who require it.
 
Following the tragic death of an innocent woman caught in the crossfire between drug dealers, the government commissioned two studies on the nearby South Riverdale site. (5)  Both studies recommended more sites and better funding for security and treatment. (5) Neither suggested closing sites. Yet, the government has disregarded the policy advice of the experts it hired.
 
Addressing a complex issue requires a comprehensive policy approach, including addiction and mental health services, harm reduction and public health services, emergency shelter options, affordable housing, and residential treatment facilities. Integration of addiction health services into the broader health care and social services system is essential. All these policies impact people who use substances, their families and communities. Only focused attention, funding, and commitment will achieve results.
 
We call on the government to reverse its decision to close supervised consumption sites and to instead adopt the recommendations from its own commissioned studies: fund the opening of more sites, provide adequate security, and support integrated treatment services.

1. https://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12954-…
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871621000168
3. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2811766#go…
4. https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/toronto-neighbourhoods-with-drug-consumption…
5. https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1004955/ontario-protecting-communiti…
https://news.ontario.ca/en/backgrounder/1004956/protecting-community-sa…
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Alan Broadbent, Toronto businessman and social advocate
Dr. Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, Department of Sociology, UofT     
Philip Berger, long time downtown Toronto medical physician
Joanne Campbell, retired Vice President, Community Relations, CAMH
Gordon Cressy, former Chair, Toronto Board of Education
David Crombie, former mayor of Toronto
Dr. Cheri DiNovo CM,  Trinity St. Paul's Centre for Faith Justice and the  Arts
Paul Garfinkel, Inaugural CEO of CAMH and Professor  Emeritus, Psychiatry,  UofT
Dr. Doris Grinspun, Chief Executive Officer, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario
Sahil Gupta, Emergency Physician, St. Michael’s Hospital
Barbara Hall, former mayor of Toronto
Bruce Kidd, Olympian and professor emeritus of sport and public policy,  Uof T
Dr. Vincent Lam,  addiction medicine physician, Medical Director of the Coderix Medical Clinic, novelist
Steve Lin, Interim Chief, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital
Heather McGregor, C. M., Chief Executive Officer, YWCA Toronto
David Miller, former mayor of Toronto
Michael M. Rachlis MD, Adjunct Professor Dalla Lana School of Public Health, UofT
Ben McNally, bookseller
John Sewell, former mayor of Toronto
Ed Waitzer, lawyer
Dr. Daniel Werb St. Michael’s Hospital/UofToronto Chair in Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders, and the Director of the  Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation
Kathleen Wynne, former Premier of Ontario

October 1, 2024.

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