Supervised Consumption & Overdose Prevention Sites

Supervised consumption and overdose prevention sites are safe spaces where teams of trained staff monitor people who use illicit drugs while they use to help prevent and recover from overdoses.

Supervised Consumption Sites (SCS) legally operate through federal exemptions under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Insite, Dr. Peter Centre and Hope to Health operate SCS in the VCH region.

Overdose Prevention Sites (OPS) operate legally through a Provincial Ministerial Order related to the public health overdose emergency. Within the VCH region, there are 12 OPS serving different communities.

Both SCSs and OPSs are beneficial for people who use drugs and the community because they:

• Help save lives by responding to overdoses quickly.
• Help prevent the transmission of infectious diseases.
• Connect people to health services, including primary care, mental health and substance use treatment.
• Bring stability to the community by improving public order and reducing consumption taking place on the street.