Tell Ford to Restore Access to Overdose Prevention
The Ford Government will be closing 5 supervised consumption sites in Toronto—a move that experts say will result in the loss of lives [1]. Supervised consumption sites are safe indoor spaces where people can use pre-obtained drugs under the supervision of trained health professionals. These health professionals are able to immediately assist a person experiencing an overdose. 21,000 overdoses were reversed in Ontario since 2020 because of these sites—saving lives [2].
Take action: Use our petition to tell Doug Ford and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones they are putting lives at risk and the Province must reverse its decisions and keep all supervised consumption sites open.
Safe consumptions sites are about saving lives.
Our city and province are facing a massive opioid and drug-poisoning crisis. In 2023, 523 people died from an overdose in Toronto [3], and research has shown that overdose deaths are less in neighbourhoods with safe consumption sites [4].
Here in Toronto, 1,800 overdoses were reversed in 2022—every overdose reversal is a potential life saved [5].
Closing down sites will add more pressure onto our already strained hospitals, emergency response, and other services. The opioid crisis is complex and we need multiple interventions—including supportive and affordable housing, social services, and safe consumption sites.
Ford’s closure of supervised consumption sites will mean people won’t have access to life-saving health care. Take action to restore access to overdose prevention sites:
Closing sites will put people in immediate, deadly danger—it will result in more deaths. Mayor Chow and Toronto’s Board of Health Chair Chris Moise, and the City’s Medical Officer of Health have made it clear these closures must be reversed to save lives.
Doug Ford and Sylvia Jones need to hear from you and feel the pressure to reverse these deadly closures. They’ve changed their minds before because of strong public backlash. Use our form to send your message - you can even personalize it with your own experience and comments. Make sure this life-saving message gets through to them, send your message today.
Notes:
[1] - https://globalnews.ca/news/10706674/ontario-ban-supervised-consumption-sites-schools/
[3] - https://www.toronto.ca/news/toronto-public-health-releases-2023-data-for-opioid-toxicity-deaths/
[4] - https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(23)00300-6/fulltext#seccestitle130