Ontario’s health minister says she’ll make recommendations to Premier Doug Ford this week on the future of supervised injection sites, but “whatever I think is really not the point” because the final decision will be Ford’s to make.

Elliott told Queen’s Park Briefing that her ministry has been “busy working on it for the past several months, by consulting with people who are very knowledgeable about the sites, but also with community leaders, citizens that have had some involvement with them, people with lived experience and I’ve visited several of the sites.”

But while Elliot said she would will provide the premier with her recommendations this week, she would not say whether she has concluded that the sites should be allowed to continue operating.

“We have some recommendations that we’re going to make to the premier, but again it’s going to be up to him to make that decision,” Elliott said Tuesday.

“So, whatever I think is really not the point that matters. It’s the premier’s decision.”

An announcement is expected by Sept. 30.

The province had been providing all of the operating funds for a number of sites, which hire nurses to oversee drug users as they inject themselves and monitor them afterwards for any signs of overdose or other health complications.

About one-quarter of the nearly 4,000 Canadians who die each year from an opioid overdose are from Ontario. Numerous studies have shown safe injection locations can reduce the risk of drug overdose.

During the election, Ford said he was opposed to such sites, preferring rehabilitation efforts. Last month, Elliott told reporters that the sites are “not as effective as some people think they are,” but did not elaborate.

Read more:

Opinion | Rosie Dimanno: The merit in those safe injection sites? They save lives

Fate of Ontario safe injection and overdose prevention sites in limbo

Do supervised injection sites bring crime and disorder? Advocates and residents disagree

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Read more about: