When are safe drug injection sites coming to Montreal?
Activists, city opposition call for Mayor Denis Coderre to implement harm-reduction program
The pressure is mounting for the creation of safe drug injection sites in Montreal after Toronto's board of health approved three sites earlier this week.
Louis Letellier de St-Just, who helped found Montreal's first needle exchange, is becoming impatient with the lack of progress about the implementation of a harm-reduction program in the city. Supervised injection sites give intravenous drug users access to clean needles.
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In 2015, Mayor Denis Coderre announced the creation of sites, saying he would move forward with a plan without federal or provincial approval, but none exist yet. The provincial government said it is waiting on Health Canada to make a decision before it can move forward with creating sites.
"We have to face the reality. We need this authorization, okay?" Lettelier de St-Just said. "And we will get it."
It's a situation where time is of essence, according to Letellier de St-Just. He said the longer Montreal waits to open safe drug injection sites, the more people will die from drug overdoses.
Sterling Downey, a Projet Montréal city councillor, also called out Coderre for a lack of progress and demanded action.
"How do you go into the media and announce over a year ago that you're going to open these sites and back off and go radio silent?" Downey said.