B.C. politicians watch closely as Ontario changes harm reduction strategy

When Insite first opened its doors in 2003 in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside it was the first sanctioned supervised drug consumption site in North America.

However, public pressure is pushing changes to harm reduction strategies across the country.

On Monday, the Ontario government passed a law banning sites within 200 metres of a school or child-care facility.

That means 10 consumption sites, including five in Toronto, will close in 2025.

B.C. politicians will be watching closely what happens in Ontario.

“In most of our sites there are no challenges, but in some there are, and we need to work with the community to address those challenges,” B.C.’s Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said on Wednesday.

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People with addictions place in B.C. long-term care

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Consumption sites are only part of B.C.’s strategy to deal with the illicit drug crisis, however, there is a growing sense among the public that these facilities contribute to disruption.

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The BC Conservatives said they would impose policies similar to those of Ontario.

“The definition of harm reduction has to include harm on the community. (When) we look to reduce harms (related to) the use of drugs we have to look at the harms on neighborhoods,” MLA Elenore Sturko told Global News.

Ontario’s government is redirecting funds from the closed sites to prevention and rehabilitation.

Advocates in British Columbia caution that closing any facilities would push drug use even further to the fringes, endangering lives.

“Any time we are changing or removing services we are going to see a vulnerable part of the population being scattered around town,” Fred Cameron with the SOLID Outreach Society said.

An average of seven British Columbians die every day from toxic drugs.