Supervised Drug Consumption Site in London responds to Health Ministry’s policy shift about harm reduction

Still open and offering services, the Carepoint Consumption and Treatment Service in London was not included on a list of ten supervised drug consumption sites that the provincial government is closing across Ontario.

“We opened today, the same as we did yesterday, with a focus on providing the life-saving services that we provide,” explained Executive Director of Regional HIV/AIDS Connection Martin McIntosh. “And we'll continue to do so going forward.”

However, McIntosh understands that there will still be changes at 446 York St. based on Health Minister Sylvia Jones’s speech to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) on Tuesday.

“We recognize the importance of working with our community partners as we look at the changes that will be brought about by this new legislation,” McIntosh told CTV News.

Jones announced that ten consumption sites (Toronto (5), Guelph, Windsor, Thunder Bay, Kitchener, Ottawa) will close as a part of a shift toward addiction treatment and recovery.

Meanwhile, the province plans to spend $378 million to open 19 Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs in Ontario that will offer wrap around supports, addiction treatment, transitional beds, and other services to people living unhoused.

But the HART Hubs will not include safer supply, needle exchanges, or supervised drug consumption.

McIntosh believes that harm reduction is a crucial component to addressing the crisis—just as addiction treatment is.

“People will be at different places at different times (in their addiction),” he explained. “We are there to make sure that people will have the opportunity to connect to addiction services, treatment, mental health supports. It’s not one or the other.”

According to McIntosh, Carepoint has performed 186 overdose responses over the past year.

Last month, staff recorded more than 1,500 visitors and made 100 referrals to addiction and treatment services.

For the supervised drug consumption sites that remain in Ontario, including Carepoint, Jones announced there will be some changes introduced in order to better address neighborhood concerns.

“We will be introducing new measures to enhance public safety for any remaining sites, including stronger safety and security plans, policies to discourage loitering, improved community engagement, and conflict de-escalation,” Jones told AMO delegates on Tuesday.

Regional HIV/AIDS Connection hasn’t yet received details about the new measures mentioned by the health minister.

Carepoint has been operating at 446 York St. since the end of February 2023.