Canada: Three supervised injection sites approved in Montreal

One site will be located in Montreal’s Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district and two will be in Ville-Marie, the department said Monday.

"This will have an important impact and it will absolutely save lives," Health Minister Jane Philpott said outside the Commons on Monday, CTVNews reports said.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre, a former Liberal cabinet minister, had been advocating for a long time for opening of supervised injection sites in Montreal.

During the last federal election campaign, he had once again raised the issue.

He said Monday that this initiative was for the public safety in spite of rising controversies and opponents.

“This is something that could work,” he said. “I’m willing to have that capacity, to have that transition to help people who are suffering and need help,” 680News reports said.

Canada at present had two drug injection sites both in Vancouver and these sites were allowed by existing laws to operate only in exceptional circumstances.

Ten more applications for injection sites, three from Toronto, two from Vancouver, two from Surrey, B.C., one from Victoria, one from Ottawa and one for a mobile site in Montreal are being reviewed by Health Canada, said Philpott.

"Every application is in a different stage of the process and our department is working very actively with all 10 additional applicants to make sure that all the criteria are met," she said.

All applications for new injection sites should be accompanied with letters from provincial health ministers, local police and regional health officials and also provide evidence of medical and scientific benefit.

Based on changes in legislature announced in December the Liberal government had rejected 26 requirements for supervised injection sites introduced under the previous government.

These changes would provide standards for adhering to criteria set out by the Supreme Court of Canada for the establishment of supervised injection sites, said Philpott.

Philpott’s department said international and Canadian evidence implied that proper operation of injection sites would save lives with reduction of drug use or crime in surrounding areas.

"There's not one single item that will resolve the opioid crisis," Philpott said. "It requires a response that is comprehensive that addresses prevention, harm reduction, treatment and law enforcement."

(Reported by Asha Bajaj, Image of Jane Philpott: Wikipedia)