Injection booths at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, BC, the first hospital in Canada to offer an overdose prevention site in-house.Jackie Dives/The New York Times News Service
A majority of Canadians believe supervised drug-use sites save lives, but almost half say resources would be put to better use treating addiction, according to a new poll.
The Nanos Research study, conducted for The Globe and Mail, found that 74 per cent of Canadians believe or somewhat believe such sites are doing what they are intended to do, with 36 per cent supporting an expansion of the harm-reduction measures.
But the poll also found that almost half of respondents – 48 per cent – would prefer cutting back on such sites to put more resources into addiction treatment.
At the legally sanctioned sites, people are allowed to use drugs such as cocaine or heroin – generally obtained elsewhere – under the eye of staff trained to provide assistance in the event of an overdose.
The poll was conducted after federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said offering addicts access to an untainted supply of illicit drugs – as is the case in Vancouver – is a “failed experiment” introduced by “woke Liberal and NDP governments.” He said he would expand addiction services instead, making his case in a video shot in Vancouver.
The Nanos poll found that Ontario residents are more likely than their Prairie counterparts to approve of supervised drug-use sites. Forty-eight per cent of Ontarians believe in the efficacy of the sites, and 29 per cent somewhat believe, while 37 per cent of Prairie residents believe in the proposition that the sites save lives and 29 per cent somewhat believe.
In British Columbia – which, along with Ontario and Alberta, has been especially hard-hit by the overdose crisis – 73.5 per cent believe or somewhat believe in that proposition, while 23.3 per cent do not believe or somewhat not believe.
The Nanos poll – a telephone and online survey of 1,025 Canadians, 18 or older – was conducted between Nov. 27 and 29. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Nik Nanos, the chief data scientist for Nanos Research, said Mr. Poilievre’s policy of focusing on addiction treatment instead of supervised drug-use sites is not a political vulnerability at this time.
“Although a majority assert that safe-injection sites save the lives of many drug addicts, Canadians prefer having more addiction treatment and cutting back on safe-injection sites rather than having more sites,” Mr. Nanos said in a statement.
He added that the issue is likely yet another compare-and-contrast friction point between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mr. Poilievre, with neither having the upper hand.
Earlier this month, Mr. Trudeau spoke to the issue during a news conference in Richmond, B.C., with Premier David Eby.
The Prime Minister called for a thoughtful approach to harm reduction.
“We know, unfortunately, that Conservative politicians continue to disregard science and disregard data in their approach. … Unfortunately, the leader of the Opposition reminded us in an incredibly ignorant video just a few weeks ago.”
Mr. Eby said addiction is a health issue and it’s essential to support people with addiction problems, keep them alive and give them an opportunity to get into treatment and turn their lives around.
The Premier said the province will do what it can to eliminate dangerous elements in illicit drugs.
In his video, Mr. Poilievre criticized the status quo on dealing with overdose issues – particularly Vancouver’s safe-supply approach – providing drugs that are not contaminated with toxic opioids to those struggling with addiction. He said he opposes “the so-called and ironically named” safe-supply approach: “There is no safe supply of these drugs.”
He said his party supports boosting resources on Canada’s borders to keep precursor ingredients used to make the drugs out of the country, as well as bringing in tougher laws for violent reoffenders and criminal actors preying on people with addiction issues.
Preliminary reporting from the B.C. Coroners Service said illicit drugs have caused the deaths of at least 1,827 British Columbians in the first 10 months of this year – with 179 lost to toxic illegal drugs in October alone, an average of 5.8 deaths a day.
About 10,688 British Columbians have died from illicit drugs since a public emergency on substance-related harms was first declared in 2016.
In a statement on Nov. 30, B.C. Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe said it is imperative to have access to a safe supply of drugs across the province. She also said the increased toxicity and variability of the illicit drug supply has created an environment in which everyone who uses such drugs is at risk.
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