Breakaway’s Statement on the Closures of SCS in Ontario
March 16, 2026
Last Friday, March 13th it was announced that the Ontario Ministry of Health will no longer provide funding for the remaining Safe Consumption Sites (SCS) in Ontario. The funding will terminate as of June 13, 2026.
This is a devastating loss for our community. It has been proven time and time again that SCSs not only save lives – they provide access to health care, basic needs, and human connection to people that are the most marginalized and harmed in our city. SCS staff also ensure drug use supplies are discarded properly which make communities safer. The HART hub model of care, that was implemented to replace the SCS a few months ago, has not been able to meet the needs that were promised. Ontario Health promised more detox and treatment beds and housing to support those who were connected to Safe Consumption Sites. Access to housing units and beds have not increased the stock has just been shuffled; existing housing units and beds have been reassigned to HART Hubs. There are not more treatment beds, people are stuck in a loop of dangerous drug use, detox, no treatment to go to and back to dangerous use. This is when people are most likely to die, when their tolerance is down due to stopping use. And research shows that forcing people into treatment doesn’t stop drug use – it just moves it underground where people are more at risk for death.
Breakaway will continue to provide care, compassion and practical resources to our clients as we work through this challenging time. We encourage you all to contact the Ford government to voice your opposition to this decision. We need to demand an expansion of the definition of “safety” and include every person in Ontario.