A local MPP is speaking out after on Friday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said supervised consumption sites are just "drug dens" and that he will close them if his party forms the next government.
Lisa Gretzky, MPP for Windsor West says the characterization Poilievre used is incredibly harmful and irresponsible of any party leader, especially one wanting to be prime minister.
"He's using dehumanizing language when he's talking about people in our communities. When he's talking about family members, loved ones, friends, it's dehumanizing. It's also stigmatizing to people that are struggling with addiction and that could anybody. I want to be clear. Anybody at some point in their life could struggle with addiction or have someone in their life that is struggling."
She says Poilievre's comments will disincentivize people from coming forward and seeking help.
"It's certainly going to contribute to the continued overdoses that we are seeing in communities all over the province and all over the country. So it was very very irresponsible of him to use that kind of language and to talk about closing sites down."
Poilievre visited a park near such a site in Montreal and said he would close all locations near schools, playgrounds and "anywhere else that they endanger the public."
Gretzky says regulations and legislation is already in place in Ontario as to where consumption and treatment sites can be located.
"I would encourage Mr. Poilievre to familiarize himself with the model that we have here in Ontario, and speak to the people here at the health unit and the hospital who are trying to get Safe Point reopened and the success that we had there during the time that it's open, but that education is incredibly important."
The first supervised injection site opened in Vancouver more than 20 years ago. A 2011 the Supreme Court ruling said that closing the Vancouver operation would deprive users of their Charter rights.
Gretzky says everybody needs to have timely access to public healthcare, including addiction and mental health services.
"What we need are leaders that are willing to have those open and honest conversations with people, experts, that work in healthcare, in mental health and addiction, with people that are struggling with addiction to see what is truly needed, and to make the investment and policy decisions that are actually to help people and save lives."
Back on Jan. 1, SafePoint services at 101 Wyandotte East were paused, as they await results of the provincial critical incident review and ultimately approval of funding to operate the site.
In June, then Health Minister Sylvia Jones‘ office told AM800 that the reviews remain ongoing.
"The Ministry is continuing to review how the sites can strengthen their accountability and oversight," said Jones’ spokesperson Hannah Jensen. "We will have more to share about this in the coming weeks."
-With files from The Canadian Press