Citizens in 4 major Canadian communities disagree about the benefits of safe injection sites: survey
Support dropped in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton, where only 51 per cent, 48 per cent, and 47 per cent, respectively, felt the sites were helpful.
A new poll reveals that residents in four major Canadian cities are divided on the effectiveness of safe injection sites in helping individuals with drug addiction, as provinces grapple with the ongoing opioid crisis.
The survey, conducted by Maru Public Opinion for CityNews, showed that while opinions are split, 62 per cent of residents in Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver believe the injection sites in their city are well-managed by supervisors.
Toronto residents were the most supportive, with 66 per cent agreeing that the sites assist those struggling with addiction, and 58 per cent saying they are well-run.
Support dropped in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton, where only 51 per cent, 48 per cent, and 47 per cent, respectively, felt the sites were helpful.
Despite general support for the sites' goals, an average of 71 per cent across the four cities felt it was time to explore alternative approaches, and 53 per cent supported shutting the sites down completely.
When asked about the major issues facing their cities, around 10 per cent of residents cited the opioid crisis, supervised injection sites, and other drug-related concerns. In Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver, drugs were identified as the top crime-related issue.
In terms of community input, 61 per cent of Toronto residents believed there was adequate consideration for neighborhoods where the sites are located. In contrast, this number dropped to 53 per cent in Vancouver and 52 per cent in both Calgary and Edmonton.
There was overwhelming consensus across the cities on keeping the sites away from schools and daycares, with 89 per cent of residents in Toronto, Vancouver, and Edmonton, and 92 per cent in Calgary, agreeing with this precaution.
The Ontario government recently imposed restrictions on supervised consumption sites, banning them from operating within 200 meters of schools and childcare centers. This decision will result in the closure of five sites in Toronto.
Toronto Public Health criticized the move, warning it would lead to more drug-related deaths, public drug use, and strain on emergency services due to increased overdose calls. Last year, there were 524 opioid toxicity deaths in Toronto.
Harm reduction advocates in Alberta also expressed concerns that their province might follow Ontario’s lead, potentially putting the remaining seven sites in Alberta at risk of closure.
Meanwhile, in Vancouver, the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV and AIDS completed construction on Canada’s first indoor supervised inhalation site, which aims to reduce drug poisonings, disease transmission, and public drug use.
British Columbia has seen nearly two-thirds of its overdose deaths in 2023 linked to smoking illicit drugs, though only 40 per cent of the province's supervised consumption sites provide a safe space for drug inhalation, often outdoors in tents.
The BC Centre’s supervised injection site, which has operated for years, serves over a thousand people each month and resuscitated five individuals from overdoses just last month.
