Supervised consumption facilities operate under a Health Canada exemption from prosecution under federal drug laws. Consumption services use a harm-reduction model, which means they strive to decrease the adverse health, social and economic consequences of drug use without requiring abstinence from drug use.
Supervised consumption sites are beneficial for the community and for residents:
- They help prevent people from transmitting infectious diseases.
- They encourage marginalized people to access health care services, including primary care and addiction treatment.
- They bring stability to the community by improving public order and reducing the number of injections taking place on the street.
Insite is North America’s first legal supervised consumption site. It opened in 2003 and is located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, where there is a high number of long-term injection drug users. The facility operates under a Health Canada exemption from prosecution under federal drug laws. Insite operates on a harm-reduction model, which means it strives to decrease the adverse health, social and economic consequences of drug use without requiring abstinence from drug use.
Visit
Insite's directory page for more information.
Opened in July 2017, the facility operates under a Health Canada exemption from prosecution under federal drug laws. Staff supervise and monitor clients for signs and symptoms of an overdose at five booths, teaching clients safer injection practices, and referring clients to other health care services such as substance use treatment and counselling.
Visit PSG's directory page for more information.
- For clinical and non-media inquiries about supervised consumption sites, contact Vancouver Mental Health and Addiction Services at vancouver.mhsu@vch.ca (Use subject line: Insite)
- For media inquiries,
contact our media team