Toronto Public Health handing out free drug paraphernalia to anyone who asks
Rebel News recently made a trip to one of these facilities located at 277 Victoria Street. In a matter of minutes, my producer and I were given various drug supplies including crack pipes and syringes. While inside the facility, I questioned if there was an age requirement for acquiring these items. The answer was simply "no."
If you have ever walked by this specific location, you will almost always notice groups of people using drugs directly outside the facility. This is situated right beside Toronto Metropolitan University, formerly known as Ryerson, and is steps away from Yonge and Dundas Square, one of the city's main attractions located in the downtown core.
We spoke with individuals using the services provided at Toronto Public Health. People expressed both appreciation and concern in regard to these services. Not only does this facility provide drug paraphernalia, but it is also used as a Supervised Consumption Service, meaning a "life-saving health service provides a safe and hygienic environment for people to inject pre-obtained drugs under the supervision of qualified staff."
Justin Trudeau seems to think that supplying people with safe spaces and equipment to use hard drugs is the way to combat the issue of rising drug addiction. Supervised Consumption Services, also known as safe injection sites, were first introduced to the city in 2017. When we look at the data on suspected fatal overdoses from 2018 (146) to 2022 (272), we see an 86% increase.
Is this system working, or making things even worse?
When we look at the Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's method of tackling the drug problem, we see a totally different approach. Instead of aiding the habit and continuing the vicious cycle, Alberta is looking to rehabilitate people and get them off drugs.
If you think it is time for the federal government to start rethinking its stance on drug addiction, sign our petition at HelpNotHarm.ca.
Lincoln Jay
Video Journalist
Born and raised west of Toronto in the city of Mississauga, Lincoln Jay joined Rebel News as a videographer in August 2020. While specializing in video editing and camera work, Lincoln has also expanded into reporting and presenting his own stories. With stories from Calgary, Alberta all the way to London, England, you can expect a wide variety of content in his reports.
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