Will closing down supervised consumption sites in Ontario really make communities safer?

Last week, our Jack Layton Journalism for Change fellow Eleanor Wand shared a piece on rabble.ca which examined the Ontario government’s decision to move forward with plans to close 10 of its 19 supervised consumption and treatment sites, despite a report from the auditor general criticizing the decision for lack of planning and consultation. 

In the piece, she explained that experts and advocates argue that the decision to close these sites – which have been shown to reduce harm and save lives – will worsen the opioid crisis and increase public health and safety risks.

Today, Wand sits down with Dr. Alexander Caudarella, the CEO from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) and family physician, to talk about the benefits and misconceptions of supervised consumption sites and how whole communities must work together to discover what feels safe for all. 

About our guest

Dr. Alexander Caudarella is a bilingual family physician with specialty training in substance use health issues. As a leader and clinician, he brings years of collaborative substance use healthcare experience to CCSA from his work across the country. Previously, Alexander served as the medical director of substance use services (SUS) at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, and lead SUS physician with Inner City Health Associates. In his work as a researcher and clinician he frequently advised public health officials on issues related to substance use health.

As one of the key leaders of the Toronto Opioid Overdose Action Network, Alexander coordinated the implementation of in-hospital substance use components and developed a regional system to access rapid expert support. He has served as a substance use consultant and clinician for the Government of Nunavut. For more than a decade, Alexander worked on Indigenous-lead programs in Canada and abroad aimed at building capacity, decreasing stigma and building local workforces.

He joined CCSA as Chief Executive Officer in August 2022. Through CCSA’s work with national and international partners, Alexander wants people in Canada to understand the scope of substance use health and the solutions they can put in place in their communities. He passionately believes that collaboration across sectors is essential in improving the health and well-being of people who use drugs and alcohol.

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