Poilievre Says Supervised Injection Sites Are ‘Drug Dens,’ Calls for Their Closure

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks to the media during a press conference in Montreal on July 12, 2024. The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says supervised drug consumption sites are “drug dens” that need to be closed down.

“Everywhere they’ve been done, they’ve made everything worse,” he said during a July 12 news conference in Montreal. “I’m against drug dens next to children’s playgrounds, schools, other places where people who are vulnerable in the community live.”

Mr. Poilievre’s news conference was held just steps away from a supervised consumption site at the La Maison Benoît Labre , which is also a transitional housing project.

The Tory leader called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to close down the site, which is a two-minute walk from Victor Rousselot Elementary School, adding that the federal government has the power to do so.

“Under Section 56.1 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the government has the power to accept or refuse a supervised consumption site like Maison Benoît Labre,” he said.

The Epoch Times reached out to Maison Benoît Labre but did not hear back by publication time.

Dr. Mylène Drouin, regional public health director of Montreal, recently testified before the Commons health committee about the site at Maison Benoît Labre, saying it was important to put supervised consumption services where people could find them.

“If a supervised injection centre must be located about 200 or 500 metres away from day cares or schools, an issue arises,” she said. “Day care centres and schools are all over Montreal. Supervised consumption sites would end up in fields or along rail lines, for example. However, to reach the clients and make a harm reduction strategy work, the sites must be in the right places.”

According to Health Canada, more than 40,000 people have died from toxic drugs since 2016, when the agency began tracking these figures.

British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario have led the country in terms of the number of deaths in 2023, most of whom were men.

There are now 38 supervised consumption sites across the country, according to Health Canada, and another eight open applications.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.