The province’s decision to close close 10 sites offering supervised consumption services (SCS) across Ontario, including five in Toronto, will have “far-reaching detrimental impacts on our communities,” says the chair of the city’s Board of Health.
“Last year, there were 524 opiate intoxicity deaths in Toronto. It’s clear that more action is needed from all orders of government to address this crisis,” said Toronto Centre Coun. Chris Moise, who added that these sites provide “critical services to people who use drugs and have saved countless lives in Toronto and across the province.”
“Research indicates that SCS are successful in reducing drug related harms. They provide immediate response to overdoses, which significantly reduces death rates. They also reduce public drug use and associate issues such as discarded needles.”
Moise said that prior to becoming a municipal politician he worked as an addictions counselor at a local hospital and said that supervised …