The federal government says it does not know how many minors are accessing supervised consumption sites in Canada, citing privacy rules that prevent the collection of detailed age data.

In response to order paper question Q-847 from Conservative MP Dan Mazier, Health Canada confirmed it cannot say how many users of these sites are under 18 or even identify the youngest person who has accessed one.

The reason: age-specific data isn’t collected in a way that allows those questions to be answered.

Today, I introduced legislation to ban supervised drug consumption sites next to children.

Fentanyl. Meth. Crack. Heroin.

These are the drugs being used both inside and outside these sites on the same streets children walk to school.

No parent should have to worry about their… pic.twitter.com/Rhiq7mBnQJ

— Dan Mazier (@DanMazierMP) March 26, 2026

According to the department, supervised consumption sites are only required to provide general demographic information, and even that is submitted in aggregate form. Specific ages are excluded “in order to maintain the privacy of people accessing the site.”

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That means federal officials overseeing the program do not have precise data on youth access despite the sites operating under exemptions granted by Ottawa under federal drug laws.

Health Canada also emphasized that it does not operate the sites directly. Instead, they are run by organizations under provincial and territorial oversight, with federal approval contingent on community consultation and regulatory compliance.

The department noted that individual sites may have their own policies regarding youth access, including restrictions or protocols for handling cases where minors present themselves.

However, those rules vary by location and are not standardized at the federal level.