SENSIBLE OVERSIGHT

Supporters of supervised injection sites have reacted with consternation to this week’s announcement by the Ontario government that the sites will have to reapply to keep operating. The province is not being unreasonable, however, and much of its broad plan looks sensible. Just a few months ago, the government raised alarm by saying it would review the usefulness of drug overdose prevention sites. Doug Ford opposed them during the election campaign and once he was elected, their future seemed bleak. Instead, Health Minister Christine Elliott has unveiled an approach that should bring together people who want to help drug addicts even when they disagree on how. Many argue that injection sites are essential because they save lives right now. Others are concerned that enabling addicts to use drugs more safely doesn’t address their underlying addiction, which requires treatment and rehabilitation. The new plan combines those approaches with a requirement that centres offering shortterm overdose treatment also have a way to direct people to long-term treatment — as some already do. This sensible idea recognizes that injection centres serve a useful role in drawing addicts into the treatment system, but that, without followup, the cycle of drug use will persist. The government will go ahead with three new sites it had held up pending review, and retain 18 other sites. They all have to go through a new approval process, which has caused some local unhappiness, but is not an unreasonable requirement. What is more questionable is the decision to limit the number of sites to 21 provincewide. The opioid crisis knows no geographic boundaries. Why should some parts of Ontario get proper treatment and others not? And while it’s appropriate to push for broader treatment, too, the immediate question is whether the necessary level of service is available. Ottawa is actually in better shape than other Canadian cities, with four injection sites, two youth treatment centres, a drug counsellor in every high school and the drug replacement therapy work done at Ottawa Inner City Health. The former government provided money for addiction services in our area last fall and the new government has pledged increased mental health and addiction funding. There are other sides to this issue, of course. For example, the drugs addicts bring to safe injection sites have been obtained illegally and can be laced with fentanyl or worse. Providing safe drugs at public expense would reduce crime and risk, but not everyone is comfortable with that. For now, Ontario is taking a cautious but level-headed approach. Let’s get on with it.