The erosion of safer supply programs in Ontario, Canada: A dangerous step backward
Authors
Farihah Ali, Cayley Russell, Jordan Mende-Gibson, Shannon Chellew Paternostro, Nikki Bozinoff, Tara Gomes, Tianna Costa, Nat Kaminski, Maryam Niapour, Sean Patenaude, Abigale Sprakes and Jürgen Rehm
Published
July 6, 2025
Abstract
Opioid-related deaths in Ontario remain persistently high, driven largely by an unstable and unregulated drug supply. In response, harm reduction services, such as supervised consumption sites/consumption and treatment services and safer supply programs, have been implemented to reduce the risks of overdose and connect people who use drugs with essential healthcare and social services.
Unlike supervised consumption, safer supply programs offer prescribed alternatives to the unregulated toxic drug supply, reducing overdose deaths and improving client stability. Ontario hosts the largest number of safer supply programs in Canada, yet recent policy decisions threaten their existence. In December 2024, the Ontario Government passed Bill 223, prohibiting new safer supply programs and imposing restrictions that forced six federally funded programs to close on 31 March 2025. In their place, the government has implemented 27 Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs, which exclude safer supply programs, supervised consumption services, and needle and syringe programs. This shift disregards the evidence supporting harm reduction's role, including safer supply programs, in reducing overdoses, stabilizing the drug supply, and engaging people in care. Safer supply programs have demonstrated significant benefits including increased access to health and social services, and reduction in overdose rates upon program enrollment. Removing these programs will force people who use drugs back to the unregulated toxic drug supply, jeopardize their connection to healthcare providers, and increase overdose risks. Ontario's decision to dismantle safer supply programs is a critical public health failure. Policymakers must prioritize evidence-based approaches to effectively address the opioid crisis and prevent unnecessary deaths.
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