Former world leaders advocating for a new global drug policy raised concerns this week about plans in the Canadian province of Ontario to close 10 supervised drug-consumption sites. The facilities, where people use their own drugs in the presence of trained staff to avoid overdoses and the spread of infectious diseases, “mitigate public drug use, reduce discarded paraphernalia and enhance community safety,” said the Global Commission on Drug Policy, led by former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark. What’s happening: The Ontario government argues the opposite is the case. It introduced legislation earlier this month to prohibit the operation of such sites within 200 meters (or about 650 feet) of schools or child-care centers. Led by the Progressive Conservative Party, the Ontario government said crime near the sites “is significantly higher compared to surrounding neighborhoods.” For example, it said the crime rate near a site in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, was 250 percent higher than in the rest of the city. If the bill passes — which is likely — it would lead to the closure of 10 supervised drug consumption sites across the province of Ontario, which also includes Toronto, by March.
The measure is part of a wider public safety bill, which aims to crack down on auto theft, enhance the tools police can use to manage sex offenders, tackle illegal cannabis sales and support access to justice. Why it matters: Harm-reduction advocates, which include the members of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, say supervised consumption sites save lives and prevent public drug use. “Supervised consumption sites have been shown to reduce overdose deaths by 35 percent in areas where they operate,” the commission said. But in many places, including the U.S., they remain controversial or even illegal, as communities reject them, and some argue it encourages illicit drug use. What’s next: The Ontario government plans to oppose new consumption sites from opening. Instead, it will invest 378 million Canadian dollars (about $270 million) in more than a dozen new homelessness and addiction recovery treatment hubs, which will connect people with treatment and other services, including housing and employment support. | 
