Thank you for the question.
When we look at how we're going to tackle the toxic drug supply that is pervasive throughout the country, persistent and so deadly, we have to look at the full continuum of care in responding to this crisis so that we're meeting people where they're at. Where we meet them is in communities. That's why safe consumption sites are so critical in terms of harm reduction. It's part of the continuum of care and services. Safe consumption sites open the door for those who use substances. Oftentimes, they have their first encounter with health care service providers and outreach providers in order to understand what safety measures they should be considering when using drugs. It provides them with information, resources and options for services towards wellness.
Without that entry door, these people would be home alone, or not even home—somewhere else, in vulnerable situations, and exposed to the illegal toxic drug supply, which is the primary driver of the overdose deaths we're seeing. These safe consumption sites are critical as part of our continuum of care.
Harm reduction—if I may say this very clearly and resolutely in this place—is health care. It is a health care service. I think that once we wrap our heads around that, adopt it and understand it, we can push back the tide of stigmatization and misinformation that we're seeing.