The Toxic Drug Crisis

Ontario Braces for Loss of Vital Services as 51 Organizations Demand Province Act on Supervised Consumption Sites - See website and below links.

Documents and links available: 

• Open Letter 
• Recording of Online Briefing will be available at  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEOlqVBeDx8g0BinFA2EWw

 Please see an exert from the open letter: 

We call for urgent action from the province, commensurate with the magnitude of the crisis our communities are facing. It is vital that the Ontario government embrace a harm reduction approach to substance use, which centres the dignity, health and safety of people who use drugs while providing pathways to care, services, and community. 

We are calling on the Ontario government to: 

1. Immediately provide direct emergency funding on or before March 29 to supervised consumption services (SCS) sites that have submitted their Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) applications to the province and are under imminent threat of closure or have closed due to lack of funding. 
2. Urgently provide, improve, and sustain uninterrupted provincial funding for SCS, including inhalation, and ensure equity in regional service availability, particularly in northern communities. 
3. Phase out the Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) approach to funding SCS, which requires additional and overly stringent conditions over and above Health Canada’s requirements.  
4. In the interim, immediately remove the cap on the number of funded SCS sites and the prohibition on inhalation services under the provincial CTS model. 
5. In the interim, introduce transparency and an expedited 30-day timeline for responding to applications under the provincial CTS model.  
6. Introduce a low-barrier process by which community organizations can seek provincial funding for SCS. 
7. Integrate SCS into Ontario’s core funded healthcare system with ongoing, integrated funding and resources. 

The Spot recognizes the ineffectiveness of the "War on Drugs" in Canada has exacerbated the toxic drug crisis, disproportionately affecting oppressed and marginalized people, Black, Indigenous, and Racialized communities. The enforcement-focused approach has perpetuated structural violence, unequal treatment, and over-policing. Consequently, health and social advocates face challenges to effect change as lack of funding to evidence based programs. However, a proactive and solution-focused approach can pave the way for positive change.

Shift  to a Health-Focused Approach:

• Recognize substance use as a health-based issue, demanding a shift in drug policies       and decriminalization.
• Emphasize  evidence-based strategies prioritizing health and harm reduction: especially       those incorporating People With Lived/Living Experience (PWLLE) engagement, supervised consumption, and safe supply initiatives.

Urgency for Funding Allocation:

• Channel  funds toward healthcare, mental health, and social services in response to the toxic drug crisis. .
• Address the toxic drug crisis with a preventive focus on community well-being.

Proactive Health Investments:

• Prioritize harm reduction programs, including engagement initiatives with People With Lived/Living Experience (PWLLE), supervised consumption, and safe  supply projects.
• Prevent health issues associated with toxic drug supply, enhancing individual well-being and wrap around care.

Community-Centric Policing:

• Shift from punitive measures to harm reduction, emphasizing supervised  consumption, safe supply, and community policing programs .
• Invest  in officers' training on trauma-informed communication and de-escalation,       enhancing access to social service/mental health dispatch programs.

Cost-Effective Justice:

• Reduce incarceration rates and criminal justice expenses through harm reduction,       supervised consumption, and safe supply models.
• Promote a sustainable and community-oriented response to the challenges of a toxic drug supply.

Healthcare Resource Optimization:

• Optimize resource allocation, focusing on preventing infectious diseases (HIV/HCV) and meeting diverse health needs through harm reduction.
• Reduce healthcare costs and improve community health outcomes.

Long-term Morbidity Reduction:

• Emphasize harm reduction programs to reduce long-term health impacts associated with a toxic drug supply.
• Lessen the strain on healthcare resources and contribute to overall community well-being.

Community Well-being Investment:

• Invest in harm reduction initiatives as a proactive approach to community well-being.
• Reduce reliance on later investments in emergency services and healthcare.

Public Health Enhancement:

• Prioritize harm reduction measures for improved public health outcomes.
• Decrease the economic burden of treating preventable diseases associated with a toxic drug supply. 
• Foster lower crime rates, increased productivity, and economic contributions.

Root Cause Approach:

• Implement mental health programs with a focus on root causes, incorporating PWLLE       engagement, supervised consumption, and safe supply.
• Offer a sustainable and cost-effective solution compared to continuous emergency responses and justice interventions.