Kingston is already facing a severe homelessness and addiction crisis, and closing supervised consumption services could place additional pressure on a system that is already stretched beyond capacity.

Supervised consumption services are not simply about harm reduction; they are part of a broader health response that prevents overdose deaths and connects vulnerable individuals to treatment, housing, and medical care.

If these services are reduced without equivalent supports in place, addiction does not disappear — it simply moves into public spaces, shelters, and private residences where overdoses are more likely to become fatal.  In Ontario between March 2020 and May 2024, stuff at supervised consumption sites successfully intervened to reverse nearly 22,000 overdoses.

For Kingston, this means the pressure shifts directly onto Kingston Health Sciences Centre’s emergency department, our police and paramedics responding to overdose calls, and our shelter system, which is already supporting individuals with complex mental health and addiction needs. It may also impact our downtown core, where businesses and residents may see increased public health crises in public spaces.

When any part of that system disappears without replacement, the crisis does not go away — it simply moves to our streets, our shelters, our downtown businesses, and our emergency rooms.