WHAI Statement on the Defunding of Ontario Supervised Consumption Sites

Overdose prevention and harm reduction are values deeply embedded in WHAI work. Following the defunding of 17 supervised consumption sites between 2025 and 2026, and the growing restrictions on harm reduction supply distribution, WHAI is unequivocally in solidarity with those affected. For resources about building community capacity during this time, and in support of people who use substances, please see “The Closure of Supervised Consumption Sites: A Gender Analysis.” 

You can also find resources on our website to support community capacity building by searching for “harm reduction” and “overdose.” These include our Women and Harm Reduction Toolkit, a tip sheet titled “Working with African, Caribbean & Black and Newly Migrated Communities Who Use Substances” a summary of clinical recommendations titled “Supporting People Who Use Opioids in Pregnancy," the Holding and Untangling Report on Women and Gender-Expansive Populations’ Access to Supervised Consumption and Overdose Prevention Sites, and a factsheet on fatal and non-fatal drug toxicity amongst people who are pregnant or parenting and use drugs.  

For support in local community capacity building, please see our Contact Us page to find a WHAI worker near you.