Quebec boosting funding for supervised consumption sites in Montreal
Posted July 21, 2023 3:15 pm.
Quebec is boosting funding for supervised consumption sites in Montreal to prevent overdoses as the city grapples with homelessness and substance abuse issues.
The province is dedicating an additional $1.5 million for services targeted to drug users, including $1.2 million that will go to four organizations in Montreal’s downtown, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Village neighbourhoods.
Quebec’s Junior Health Minister Lionel Carmant was in Montreal to deliver the news.
Quebec funding supervised consumption sites in Montreal. (Photo Credit: Martin Daigle, CityNews)
“We want to invest in logement supervise (supervised housing) where people are accompanied,” said Carmant. “Because it’s not possible to take somebody who’s been chronically homeless and put him in an apartment. He needs accompaniment.”
The Village became the focus of Montreal’s homelessness and drug abuse issues earlier this summer when the city launched an action plan to address resident and business owners’ concerns about safety.
Montreal Public Health expanding supervised consumption sites
Another $252,000 will go to Montreal public health to expand supervised consumption sites, which are places where people can bring their own drugs to use in the presence of trained staff.
Asked what his thoughts are on the situation in Montreal, Minister Carmant pointed out that the problem extends far beyond this city.
“I’ve taken the metro in New York,” he said, “I’ve walked in Vancouver and in Toronto. It’s a new situation that we need to take care of. And thanks to the organizations I think we’re early in the scheme [of things]. If we invest properly I think we can hopefully slow the process down, unlike these other major cities. So we’re really invested in helping the different organizations that work with these people improve the situation in Montreal.”
Annie Aubertin, director of a Montreal supervised drug-use site, says the additional funding will allow the non-profit to extend its operating hours after it had previously reduced them.
She says the decriminalization of drug use would further help to reduce stigma, but Carmant says the government is not pursuing such a policy change.
