Health Organizations Warn Supervised Consumption Site Closures Will Increase HIV and Hepatitis Transmission, Call on Ontario Government to Reverse Decision
In an open letter sent to the Minister of Health today, public health leaders, HIV and hepatitis organizations and service providers called on the Government of Ontario to reverse the recent decision to shutter supervised consumption sites (SCS) and restrict harm reduction services. Signatories warn these actions will significantly increase the risk of viral and bacterial disease transmission, further straining Ontario’s already burdened healthcare system.
Supervised consumption sites are a health intervention where trained staff respond to toxic drug poisoning emergencies and offer resources and connections to critical health, mental health, social and housing services. Evidence consistently shows the sites save lives and significantly reduce emergency calls and hospital visits.
“Supervised consumption sites provide critical health and life-saving services,” says Meghan Young of the Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy, one of more than 70 organizations who endorsed the letter. “In our work delivering HIV and HCV prevention and support across five communities in Ontario, we have seen the devastating impacts for a community when supervised consumption sites don’t exist, or when an SCS closes, as in Sudbury. Beyond the lifesaving and healthcare access offered at these sites, many connect people with wrap-around services, including access to Indigenous cultural supports like traditional counselling with an Elder. Over the last three years, Oahas has advocated for an expansion of SCS across Ontario, and for the inclusion of inhalation services as part of this expansion. We are extremely concerned about the Ford Government’s decision to close 10 SCS, and what this will mean for the health and well-being of the Indigenous community members that we walk alongside.”
“An holistic public health approach to the toxic drug crisis includes SCS and other harm reduction interventions that prevent illness, save lives, and reduce healthcare costs,” says Ian Culbert of the Canadian Public Health Association. “One SCS can prevent up to 83 new cases of HIV in a single year, which saves more than $17 million in future healthcare costs. We urge the government to reconsider its decisions; every life saved would be a testament to Ontario’s commitment to public health, human rights and equity.”
In August, the Ford government announced it would shutter 10 existing supervised consumption sites and ban future sites from opening, a move experts have said will result in more deaths, more public drug use and increased health system costs. When Thunder Bay, the last remaining site in northern Ontario, is forced to close under the new restrictions, there will be no communities north of Ottawa with access to the supports and services available at SCS.
“If the service in Thunder Bay is forced to close, there will be zero supervised consumption sites in the North," says Holly Gauvin of Elevate NWO. "We know that there are already so many barriers that get in the way of our community members getting the supports they need – why would we take away this lifeline? Harm reduction is one part of a holistic approach – including addressing root causes, getting people out of poverty, offering supports for trauma and loss, and increasing social connectedness. But without harm reduction, we’re closing the door and leaving many people out in the cold.”
In 2022, Thunder Bay District Health Unit reported hepatitis C rates more than four times the provincial average.
“Shutting down these services will lead to increased preventable deaths and higher rates of HIV, hepatitis C (HCV) and other sexually transmitted blood-borne infections,” warns Jennifer van Gennip of Action Hepatitis Canada. “Over half of service users at one Toronto site tested positive for hepatitis C, and the majority were then able to begin treatment to be cured—a stark contrast to conventional healthcare settings where successful treatment rates are very low for people who use drugs. SCS are an important point of entry to healthcare and are part of Ontario’s plan to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health threat – losing them will take us backwards. We cannot afford to ignore the evidence that supports these services as an effective means to keep our communities safer and healthier.”
The organizations are calling for the immediate reversal of the closures, alongside adequate funding for SCS and harm reduction services across the province.
“Our entire health system benefits from supervised consumption sites,” says Culbert. “With healthcare already under strain, it makes no sense to add more pressure by taking away services. If the province doesn’t change course, we will all be harmed by this short-sighted decision.”
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About
The Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy (Oahas) is an Indigenous-led organization committed to promoting and supporting healthy, thriving Indigenous communities through providing culturally grounded education and access to harm reduction to reduce the transmission of HIV and other STBBIs in our communities. Oahas operates based on the principles of Greater Involvement of People living with HIV/AIDS (GIPA), Meaningful Engagement of People living with HIV/AIDS (MEPA), “nothing about us without us,” Indigenous harm reduction, and respect for our cultural knowledges and teachings. These foundational principles guide all aspects of our relationships and work.
Elevate NWO is a community-based not-for -profit organization that provides services, opportunities, testing, treatment and programs to improve the lives of and empower people living with, affected by or at risk of HIV, AIDS and Hepatitis C in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario.
Action Hepatitis Canada (AHC) is a pan-Canadian coalition of 84 community-based organizations responding to viral hepatitis. Together, they hold governments accountable to Canada’s commitment to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.