Recently, Mental Health and Addiction Minister Dan Williams and other influential voices have critiqued supervised consumption sites (SCS), perpetuating harmful rhetoric that undermines the proven effectiveness of harm-reduction services. Williams questions whether SCS reduce crime or improve public health — extensive research confirms they do both.
These sites have been shown to lower crime rates in their neighbourhoods and often serve as a bridge to addiction recovery services, providing individuals with a safe space to use drugs under medical supervision. Claims that SCS “enable addiction” are unfounded and harmful, perpetuating the misconception that people who use drugs are inherently dangerous. In reality, SCS exist to mitigate the risks associated with drug use.
Williams’ portrayal of SCS as “drug dens” distorts the reality of the services provided, erasing the essential health and social support available. These sites are not places where people are “dumped” to use drugs; they are carefully monitored support systems designed to promote health, safety and dignity. Contrary to the stereotype of chaotic and dangerous spaces, SCS operate with structure and comprehensive care.
In Calgary, the SCS is staffed by a team of three health-care professionals — a paramedic and two nurses — alongside a peace officer. These workers not only reverse overdoses but also educate clients about safer drug use, provide wound care, and offer referrals to other health services. After clients use the facilities, they move to a post-consumption room, where a peer support worker assists with resource navigation, including housing, income, identification, legal matters and mental-health concerns. The SCS also connects clients to social workers, care managers, educators, food, clothing and, most importantly, offers human connection.
Williams references violence attributed to “drug addicts,” including machete attacks, yet such claims often exaggerate the reality. The violence faced by unhoused people who use drugs, particularly at the hands of housed individuals and law enforcement, is rarely discussed. The media and public discourse often focus on the alleged danger posed by individuals using drugs rather than acknowledging the systemic violence and discrimination they encounter daily. This silence perpetuates a harmful cycle of neglect and misunderstanding.
Alberta’s rates of domestic violence related to alcohol are among the highest in Canada. In Calgary, domestic violence shelters are overwhelmed, with more than 59,000 calls for help in the last year. The Calgary Police Service responds to about 55 domestic-abuse calls a day, 61 per cent of which are alcohol-related. Despite the significant presence of violence tied to alcohol, Calgary has more than 250 bars and around 400 to 500 liquor stores as of 2024.
Drug policy often cites “danger” as a reason for criminalization, despite many drugs being less harmful than alcohol. I do not argue for the criminalization or restriction of alcohol; rather, I highlight that the discrepancy in policy reflects societal norms, stigma and historical factors. This hypocrisy illustrates that drug-use policies are not genuinely driven by a concern for public health and safety — if danger were the primary factor, alcohol would face the same scrutiny.
Safe consumption sites are essential for creating safer environments, not just for people who use drugs but for the community at large. By providing a space for safe drug consumption, they mitigate the risks associated with street-based drug use. Eliminating these sites will push individuals back into unsafe, unmonitored areas, exacerbating public health risks and overdose deaths.
While detox and treatment are important, they cannot function in isolation. Harm reduction is a vital first step for individuals who may not yet be ready for abstinence-based treatment. SCS offer a low-barrier entry point to health-care and counselling services, which are necessary for moving toward recovery.
Instead of pitting harm reduction against treatment, we should focus on integrating both approaches. Detox and treatment beds are critical, but they do not address the immediate need to prevent overdoses and reduce public drug use. Harm-reduction services are part of a comprehensive approach to public health care that emphasizes dignity and compassion.
Calgary must prioritize evidence-based strategies that protect all citizens, especially the most marginalized, rather than succumbing to fearmongering and sensationalized accounts of disorder.
Compassion does not come at the expense of a community; ignoring those in need is the real tragedy.
Sydney Boa is a dedicated harm-reduction advocate with both personal and professional experience in mental health, substance use and community outreach.