Organizations call on Ontario government to fund supervised consumption sites amid toxic drug crisis

Fifty-one community groups from across Ontario are calling on the provincial government to immediately fund and support supervised consumption services, including those in Sudbury and Timmins.

The Canadian Drug Coalition has sent an open letter to Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones and Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Minister Michael Tibollo, calling on the Ford government to provide direct, emergency funding for supervised consumption sites by March 29, 2024.

"In Ontario, 7 to 10 people are killed everyday by toxic, unregulated drugs," said Nick Boyce of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition.

"The evidence is clear. Supervised consumption sites stop deaths, reduce costs and strains on emergency services and hospitals, and increase connections to health and social supports including treatment."

The calls for action come at a time when many supervised consumption sites are facing closures due to a lack of funding.

In the fall of 2023, the provincial government announced it was pausing all funding applications for supervised consumption sites, pending a review. The decision followed the shooting death of a woman near a site in Toronto in July 2023.

Sudbury's supervised consumption site, known as The Spot, is set to close its doors on March 31. The organization applied for provincial funding in August 2022, but never heard back about its application before the pause was announced. The City of Greater Sudbury funded The Spot until December, and the site has been operating on community donations since then.

"In the 16 months that The Spot has been open, we have seen the incredible impact it has had on those who access the service," said Amber Fritz, Manager of Supervised Consumption Services at Réseau ACCESS Network.

"We all know this crisis is getting worse, it's not getting better. We need services like supervised consumption sites more than ever to ensure that people who use drugs have the support that they need."

In Timmins, the community's hospital operates the Safe Health Site Timmins. The city funded the site until December, before Timmins city council granted a temporary funding extension until the end of March. Those operating the site applied for provincial funding in early 2023, but have not heard back on their status.

Dr. Julie Sampson of the Timmins and District Hospital said closing the site would be devastating to their community.

"Our site has managed 361 overdoses since its opening. 36 required administration of naloxone," said Samson.

"This is a health issue. These sites should be funded by the Ministry of Health. Why are municipalities, local health boards, and even the caring public having to step in to do the province's job?" 

Data from the Office of the Chief Coroner indicates Timmins and Sudbury have an opioid toxicity mortality rate nearly three times the provincial average. 

The Canadian Drug Coalition said there are only 17 provincially-funded supervised consumption sites in Ontario, with only one in northern Ontario. That site is located at NorWest Community Health Centre in Thunder Bay.

Fritz said, if the sites in Sudbury and Timmins close, there is nowhere else for people to go to use drugs safely within the northeast.

"This is an issue that needs more attention and that needs to be brought to the forefront because people are dying and people will continue to die if we don't have action on this issue."

In a statement to CBC News, Hannah Jensen, spokesperson for Minister of Health Sylvia Jones, said, "Following the tragic incident in July at the Riverdale CTS (consumption and treatment services) site, the ministry launched a review of all 17 provincial CTS sites and a third-party review led by Unity Health of the Riverdale site. These reviews include consulting with Public Health, community engagement and reviewing complaints against the CTS sites. These reviews remain ongoing and will inform the next steps taken by the Ministry of Health including funding, location and application decisions. All applications remain on pause."