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The 2011 Supreme Court of Canada ruling on Insite clearly established that supervised consumption sites are part of health-care services that should be made accessible to people who use drugs; that these sites contribute to reducing harms associated with drug use; and that denying access to these sites increases the risk of death and disease.

In addition to saving lives every day, these sites act as an essential point of contact for people to access much-needed health-care services that have been proven effective to reduce overdoses, blood-borne infections (hepatitis C and HIV), infections (i.e., skin, soft tissue, heart, and blood infections), and other medical complications. They also help connect people who use drugs with social services and support to address housing and food insecurity, mental health issues, trauma, and isolation.

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It has been well established that the care provided in supervised consumption sites falls within the legislated scope of practice of registered nurses. In these sites, nurses work with harm-reduction and peer workers to establish a trusting relationship with clients, assess their health needs, offer care that reduces potential harms associated with injection-drug use, provide harm-reduction education and supplies, monitor for signs of overdose or other acute health complications, and intervene in emergency situations.