Nationally, opioid and other substance use rates have increased steadily over the past decade. The increase in use rates, coupled with other factors such as unsafe illegal supply and the Covid-19 pandemic, has led to an increase in injury and overdoses. The rate of the injury and overdose resulting from substance use has led many jurisdictions throughout Canada to open Supervised Consumption Sites (“SCS”) as a way of reducing harm directly and indirectly resulting from substance use.
SCS are medically supervised facilities that provide a safer, hygienic environment in which individuals can consume drugs under the supervision of a health care professional without the risk of arrest for drug possession. Individuals consume their substances under the supervision of a staff member who is trained to spot the signs of, and reverse, overdose. SCS do not provide the substances. SCS operate based on an approved temporary or permanent exemption issued by Health Canada.
SCS have seen success in lowering overdose, hospitalization, and death rates, as well as providing support services (such as counselling, medical treatment, and detox) to populations that have been historically hard to reach with government sponsored programs. Yukon has not been immune to this increase in user rates and, to quote Yukon’s then Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brendan Hanley on April 22, 2021 "The pace of opioid deaths [in Yukon] is continuing at a terrifying rate". In 2020 the Department of Health and Social Services (“HSS”), Mental Wellness and Substance Use Services (“MWSU”) Branch was mandated to create a SCS program for the health and safety of individuals. The opening of the SCS is supported by Dr. Hanley who stated on April 22, 2021: “This may seem like it's endorsing or supporting drug use, but in fact what happens is that overdoses are prevented and people do get connected to supports, medical care counselling, access to treatment".
Yukon’s SCS will operate under a temporary exemption from the Controlled Substances Directorate, Health Canada that provides the necessary authority to operate a supervised consumption site. The exemption expires September 30, 2022. YG will work to secure a permanent exemption under 56(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.