Province to close 5 Toronto supervised drug consumption sites – CBC
Facilities won’t be able to operate within 200 metres of schools, child-care centres
Aug 20, 2024
Five supervised drug consumption sites are slated to close in Toronto after the provincial government announced a ban on such facilities near schools and child-care centres — a move that some harm-reduction experts are slamming as a “deadly mistake.”
Health Minister Sylvia Jones made the announcement Tuesday at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference in Ottawa.
“In Toronto, there’s been numerous stories of altercations, stabbings, shootings and even a homicide in the vicinity of these sites,” Jones said at the conference.
“Our first priority must always be protecting our communities, especially when it comes to some of our most innocent and vulnerable — our children.”
The new rules will force consumption and treatment service facilities within 200 metres of schools and child-care centres to close. Supervised consumption sites allow people to use drugs under supervision to reduce the risk of overdose.
