Canadian Drug Policy Coalition

04/15/2026

We know this crisis demands more than words—it demands action.

That’s why BCGEU is proud to support our strategic partner, the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition (CDPC), in their work to advance evidence-based, life-saving drug policy.

For 10 years, front-line workers, people who use drugs and their loved ones have been carrying the weight of a preventable crisis. Supporting organizations like the CDPC is one way we’re pushing for meaningful change.

Learn more about their work here: https://drugpolicy.ca/10-years-in-crisis-bc-decade-long-public-health-emergency/

04/14/2026

04/14/2026

Ten years into a public health emergency, the loss continues.

Since 2016, at least 18,000 people in have died from unregulated drugs, and more than 50,000 from opioids and/or stimulants across . This crisis is defined by staggering and ongoing loss of life, and by the grief, suffering, and harm carried by people who use drugs, their loved ones, and frontline workers.

This crisis is not inevitable. It is driven by an unregulated, toxic drug supply and systems that increase risk instead of reducing harm. This crisis is driven by policy choices. We can and must change drug policy.

On this anniversary, we remember and honour the people we have lost, and stand with everyone who continues to grieve, to fight for change, and to imagine a future grounded in safety, care, and dignity.

We call upon the province of B.C., alongside all provinces and territories, to act with the urgency a public health emergency requires.

Read the full blog post to learn more: https://drugpolicy.ca/10-years-in-crisis-bc-decade-long-public-health-emergency/

04/10/2026

To mark the 10th anniversary B.C.’s Public Health Emergency, communities far and wide are coming together in grief, remembrance, and action.

From memorial gatherings and art installations to demonstrations, vigils, and educational events, these community-led commemorations honour the loved ones we have lost and the people continuing to fight for care, dignity, and change.

Read our blog post and explore the list of events to find one near you: https://drugpolicy.ca/10-years-in-crisis-bc-decade-long-public-health-emergency/

If there are additional community events we haven’t included, please share them in the comments so we can help amplify them.

04/02/2026

Beeta Senedjani on behalf of the CDPC spoke at the Toronto Board of Health meeting earlier this week, raising concerns about the impacts of supervised consumption site closures.

After the first round of closures, Toronto saw an 82% increase in EMS calls for opioid toxicities, as people were pushed to use drugs without access to safer, supervised environments. The result of these closures is more emergencies, increased strain on first responders, and more preventable harm already unfolding across the city.

The Board ultimately voted to sign on to our organizational endorsement letter.

You can read the full letter, signed by more than 250 organizations, here: https://drugpolicy.ca/open-letter-re-defunding-supervised-consumption-sites-in-ontario/

04/01/2026

Despite claims from the province that the closure of CTS sites last March caused no problem, data shared at a media conference today highlight a troubling trend: Ontario-wide data shows a sharp increase in EMS calls (+69.5%) and emergency department use (+67%) for opioid-related overdoses in the period following the forced closure of nine CTS sites in March 2025 under the so-called Community Care and Recovery Act.

In the City of Toronto, EMS calls for opioid-related toxicities have increased by 82% since the closures of CTS sites, rising from 192 calls in March 2025 to 350 monthly calls in January 2026, a sharp upward shift consistent with what experts warned would happen following site closures, and starkly at odds with the prior downward trend. In Hamilton, where the city’s CTS closed in April 2025, opioid-related EMS responses rose from 66 in April 2025 to 199 in February 2026 — the highest recorded monthly count since reporting began.

Read the media release here:
https://www.hivlegalnetwork.ca/site/organizations-worldwide-denounce-ontarios-decision-to-defund-remaining-supervised-consumption-sites/?lang=en

See the evidence brief here:
https://www.hivlegalnetwork.ca/site/what-the-evidence-says-about-defunding-ontarios-remaining-supervised-consumption-sites/?lang=en

03/31/2026

Ontario is choosing to defund evidence based, life-saving healthcare 🇨🇦

By June 2026, the provincial government plans to shut down Supervised Consumption Services (SCS) in favor of abstinence-only 'HART Hubs.' We have proudly signed ✍️ an urgent letter of opposition alongside healthcare leaders and advocates across Ontario.

While HART Hubs offer some support, they cannot replace supervised consumption sites (SCS) and the low-barrier, emergency care they offer when people experience a life-threatening overdose.

The intentional exclusion of SCS at HART Hubs as well as the prohibition on needle and syringe distribution creates needless barriers to people accessing broader healthcare and social services.

Cutting these services doesn't just lose emergency care; it fractures the vital relationships between healthcare providers and people who use drugs.

These relationships are often the only pathway to further support. For example, if someone chooses to pursue abstinence, a supervised consumption site is often the very place that connects them to that care.

We are proud to stand in solidarity with our colleagues in Ontario. This letter was sent today to the Premier, the Minister of Health, and the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.

👉 HIV Legal Network
👉 Canadian Drug Policy Coalition

Learn more about the letter in comments 👇

03/31/2026

Today, exactly one year since the Government of Ontario forced nine Consumption and Treatment Services sites (CTS, also known as supervised consumption sites, or SCS) to close across the province, more than 250 organizations — led by the HIV Legal Network, the Drug Strategy Network of Ontario, and the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition — have sent a clear message to the Government of Ontario. Together, they are calling on the government to respect the expert advice of organizations with unparalleled experience on substance use issues, follow the mounting evidence demonstrating the clear need for SCS, and pledge to keep individuals and neighborhoods safer for everyone by reversing the misguided decision to defund the remaining eight funded CTS sites in Ontario.

Read the letter here: https://www.hivlegalnetwork.ca/site/open-letter-re-defunding-of-all-supervised-consumption-sites-in-ontario/?lang=en

_______________________________

Aujourd’hui, exactement un an après la fermeture forcée par le gouvernement de l’Ontario de neuf sites de consommation et de traitement (SCT, aussi appelés « sites de consommation supervisée » ou « SCS ») dans la province, plus de 250 organismes — mené par le Réseau juridique VIH, le Drug Strategy Network of Ontario et la Coalition canadienne des politiques sur des drogues — lancent un message clair aux autorités ontariennes. Nous appelons le gouvernement à suivre les conseils qualifiés d’organismes experts en consommation de substances; à tenir compte des preuves grandissantes de la nécessité évidente de SCS; et à protéger la sécurité de toutes les personnes et des quartiers, en modifiant leur décision malavisée de supprimer le financement des huit SCT restants en Ontario.

https://www.hivlegalnetwork.ca/site/open-letter-re-defunding-of-all-supervised-consumption-sites-in-ontario/?lang=fr

03/31/2026

Today, on Trans Day of Visibility, we recommit to following the leadership of trans and gender-diverse people in the worldwide struggle for fundamental human rights.

The rapid escalation of laws and policies in Canada and worldwide that attempt to deny the existence of trans people and erase them from public life are an affront to our collective humanity. We are committed to fighting the hate and fear fostered by our politicians with love and evidence as we help break the systems that deny trans existence and break down the barriers that prevent people from living in this world as their authentic selves.

We see you and we stand with you in solidarity.

03/27/2026

The decision to close the last remaining supervised consumption sites in and is a dangerous step backwards with devastating consequences.

Together with the HIV Legal Network, we are calling on the Government of Alberta to immediately reverse this decision.

Supervised consumption services save lives. In Calgary alone, hundreds of drug poisonings were responded to this year. If left to proceed, this policy decision will result in needless deaths of loved ones, increased rates of preventable injury and transmission of HIV and Hepatitis C, increased strain on overburdened emergency services, and increased drug consumption and debris in public spaces.

and access to voluntary treatment go hand in hand. They are both essential. Removing one will cost lives.

Read the full joint statement here:

As organizations working to advance policies grounded in human rights and public health, HIV Legal Network and the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition strongly condemn the decision by the Government of Alberta to close the last remaining supervised consumption sites in Calgary and Lethbridge and urge its...

03/25/2026

The Human Rights Committee has raised urgent concerns about Canada’s narrow interpretation of the right to life, calling for immediate action to save lives.

Key issues:
• Rising drug toxicity deaths
• Lack of implementation mechanisms
• Gaps in the legal system
• Encampment evictions and rights violations

Human rights groups urge to take all necessary steps to protect people facing homelessness, poverty, and the drug toxicity crisis—including access to housing, health care, and harm reduction services.

Read the press release here: https://drugpolicy.ca/un-committee-rejects-canadas-position-calls-for-action-on-preventable-deaths/