Ford’s attack on harm reduction defies expert advice

August 21, 2024

QUEEN'S PARK — Ontario Greens Leader Mike Schreiner released the following statement in response to news that two expert reviews of the supervised consumption and treatment centre operated out of the South Riverdale Community Health Centre did not recommend its closure.

“Once again the Premier is ignoring expert advice to push his own agenda, and our communities are collateral damage.

Multiple experts recommend the funding and expansion of life-saving harm reduction services, and the Premier does exactly the opposite. How can he claim with a straight face that he cares about the people of this province?

People who use substances are members of our communities. Their lives matter, and the loss of supervised consumption and treatment centres just means more of them are going to be lost to fatal drug poisonings.

Once again, I call on the Premier and the Minister of Health to reverse the closures and properly invest in harm reduction as part of a comprehensive plan to provide low-barrier mental health and addictions care to every single Ontarian who needs it.”

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