Ontario’s new restrictions on supervised consumption services will result in more death during a worsening drug poisoning crisis; dead people cannot enter treatment.
The HIV Legal Network, the AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, and Area (ACCKWA), Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, Drug Strategy Network of Ontario, DIY Community Health Timmins, Gilbert Centre, Harm Reduction Nurses Association, The J Healthcare Initiative, Moms Stop the Harm, Ontario Aboriginal HIV Aids Strategy, Street Health Community Nursing Foundation, Toronto Overdose Prevention Society, Positive Health Network, Pozitive Pathways, Réseau ACCESS Network, Substance Overdose Prevention & Education Network, Ryan’s Hope, Tweakeasy, and Waterloo Region Drug Action Team put out a joint media statement in reaction to the province's plan to impose new restrictions on Consumption and Treatment Services, and the resulting closure of existing treatment sites.
"Premier Doug Ford has long dismissed the ample evidence that supports the existence of SCS and refused to scale these services up in his six years in power. Yet years of research and documentation show they have a wide range of benefits. Not only do they prevent accidental overdoses and overdose (or toxic drug) deaths, they reduce the spread of blood-borne infections such as HIV and hepatitis C through harm reduction education and supplies. They also contribute to improved health outcomes by linking clients to health and social services (including treatment and peer-based services), while reducing public drug use and discarded equipment and alleviating the strain on emergency response services and hospital emergency rooms. Some SCS also offer additional services and supports, such as drug checking and peer-assisted injection."
Read the full release at https://www.hivlegalnetwork.ca/site/media-statement-government-of-ontario-plan-will-lead-to-more-preventable-drug-poisoning-deaths/?lang=en
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