The city’s first permanent supervised injection facility has officially opened its doors, replacing a temporary facility that was set up at the same location amid a spike in opioid-related deaths this past summer.
The facility, located inside a Toronto Public Health building on Victoria Street near Dundas Street, was one of three supervised injection sites approved by Health Canada in June.
The site will provide visitors with sterile equipment and allow them to use illicit drugs under the supervision of medical professionals.
Its official opening means the closure of a temporary site that has been in operation in the same building since Aug. 21.
According to Toronto Public Health, staff at that facility have successfully intervened in 10 overdoses and have overseen more than 800 visits.
“Drug overdose is a significant public health issue with devastating impacts for many," Toronto's Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa said in a press release issued on Wednesday morning. "Today marks an important milestone for our city towards addressing this very serious public health crisis affecting so many in our community."
The other supervised injection facilities that have been approved for Toronto will be located inside the Queen West-Central Toronto Community Health Centre and the South Riverdale Community Health Centre.
The city has also asked Health Canada to expedite approval of a temporary facility at the Fred Victor Centre that would replace an unsanctioned pop-up site operating in Moss Park.
