The Insite Decision and the Case for Supervised Consumption Facilities in Ottawa

Abstract

In this analysis of the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision to allow a safer supervised consumption facility (SCF) to remain open, we first describe the context in which Insite emerged in Vancouver, British Columbia. We go on to discuss the legal mobilization that led to the Supreme Court decision and the framework under which Insite currently operates. In the final part, we explore the decision’s implications for another jurisdiction – Ottawa, Ontario. Our starting assumption is that many of Ottawa’s vulnerable, and certainly marginalized, people could also benefit from access to a SCF. With a sizeable number of people who inject or inhale illicit drugs under dangerous circumstances, there is need for harm reduction strategies and additional primary care facilities in Ottawa. While there remain challenges to fostering harm reduction strategies in the city, we maintain that these are not insurmountable.

Keywords: harm reduction, insite, safer consumption, street-involvement

JEL Classification: I00, I31, I30, I38, J00