Schreiner to Elliot: Lift the cap on overdose prevention sites

December 16, 2019

TORONTO — Mike Schreiner released the following statement after statistics from Public Health Ontario indicated a rise in opioid-related deaths:

“There is one place where these deaths aren’t occurring, which is overdose prevention sites where health professionals can safely monitor people.

Those on the frontlines tell us that we are facing a public health crisis, and yet the Ford government is imposing an arbitrary cap on services that are proven to save lives.

If the Premier is so interested in cutting red tape, then it should cut the red tape in getting new overdose prevention sites approved and operating.

Cities like Peterborough, ranking near or at the top of overdose statistics, should not be deprived of harm-reduction tools that keep people safe.

The failure to open up new sites means more people using in parks and public bathrooms, more stress on our emergency rooms, and more preventable deaths.

The Health Minister must listen to experts, follow the evidence, and lift the cap.”

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