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Health Minister Christine Elliott said Tuesday the government is reviewing evidence to see if the sites “have merit” and are worth continuing. The government plans to make a decision in the coming weeks on the sites that are about to expire, but will also eventually rule on the program as a whole, she said.

Cassidy said the Middlesex-London health board agreed to invite Elliott to tour the city’s temporary overdose prevention site “to see what a phenomenal job we’re doing here in London, and to see the value in this site.”

An average of 55 people a day have visited the site since it opened in February.

“I’m very hopeful that (Elliott) will take them up on that invitation and will come visit the site,” Cassidy said.

Coun. Tanya Park said she’s holding out hope the PCs will see the value of the supervised drug injection sites.

“I think the fact that the minister is looking into the evidence is a positive thing. The overwhelming evidence is sites like these save lives and are a means for individuals to be walked to their own path to recovery.”

Overdose prevention sites are temporary facilities approved by the province to address an immediate need in a community, while supervised injection sites are more permanent locations approved by the federal government after a more extensive application process.

During the spring election campaign, Premier Doug Ford said he was opposed to safe-injection and overdose-prevention sites, though his party says Ford has committed to reviewing evidence on the issue.