CCLA Denounces Defunding of Safe Consumption Sites in Ontario

On March 13, 2026, Harini Sivalingam, Director of the Equality Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), issued the following statement:

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) strongly condemns the Ontario government’s decision to defund safe consumption sites across the province, echoing the concerns of advocates and health care professionals.

Safe consumption sites are proven harm-reduction measures that support people who use drugs and people living with addiction. This decision will make it harder to access essential, life-saving health services.

Communities across Ontario and throughout Canada are facing an unprecedented toxic drug crisis, alongside escalating homelessness and mental health challenges. This is a moment that demands expanded, evidence-based supports — not reduced access to critical, lifesaving health care services.

This misguided decision will put vulnerable and marginalized people at greater risk and will cost lives. The loss of funding for these services will disproportionately harm already marginalized communities, including Indigenous and racialized people, as well as those experiencing poverty and homelessness, who face systemic barriers to accessing health care and other supports.

The Supreme Court of Canada has recognized that denying people access to health services provided through safe consumption sites threatens their health and, indeed, their lives.

We call on the Ontario government to reverse its decision to defund safe consumption sites and to uphold the safety, health, and dignity of all people, including those who use drugs and people living with addictions. The CCLA will continue to defend the rights, health, and lives of the most vulnerable members of our communities.