Toronto applying to province to keep supervised injection site open

Toronto is submitting an application to the province to continue operating its supervised injection site in the city.

In a statement released Friday, Toronto Public Health said if its application is approved, it would allow the supervised injection and treatment services to continue.

"Supervised consumption services save lives and are an important part of the response to this [Opioid] crisis," said Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto's Medical Officer of Health in the statement.

This comes after an October announcement by the provincial government to replace the Supervised Injection Services program. It became the Consumption and Treatment Services program, and Christine Elliott, Minister of Health and Long-Term Services, said any existing supervised injection sites would need to reapply to the province in order to continue operating.

Elliott said at the time that the sites would need to comply with the province's new model, focusing on treatment and rehabilitation. The sites would need to connect visitors to health and social services, like mental health supports, housing and employment.

Toronto has four supervised injection sites, and one is run by Toronto Public Health. According to city data, that site has so far had more than 28,000 visits. Almost 480 of those experienced an overdose.

"These health services provide a safer and hygienic environment for people who use drugs under the supervision of trained staff," said de Villa.

The province decided to cap the number of supervised injection sites to 21, and announced there would be no new funding for those rebranded sites.

If approved, the sites will be subject to random audits and will have to report to the provincial government about who is using the sites.