Alberta will shut down two supervised drug consumption sites this summer as the province continues to shift toward a recovery-focused strategy to address addiction.
The Sheldon M. Chumir Centre in Calgary, together with a mobile service in Lethbridge, are set to close on June 30. Funding designated for these services will be redirected to expand addiction treatment, medical detox, recovery support, and 24-hour outreach teams, Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said at a March 20 press conference.
“Our government has been very clear from the start that addiction is a health-care issue that requires treatment and recovery-focused supports,” Ellis told reporters in Calgary. “A health system works best when it helps people heal and get well, instead of leaving them in a cycle of crisis, and of course, struggling. We don’t want that.”…