MONTREAL — A recent study from McGill University has challenged long-standing concerns about supervised consumption sites, finding no evidence that these facilities lead to increased crime in surrounding neighborhoods. Researchers examined a decade of police reports in Toronto areas near overdose prevention and supervised consumption sites, concluding that crime rates either stabilized or decreased after the sites opened their doors.
The study, led by associate professor Dimitra Panagiotoglou, analyzed data from multiple sites in Toronto, Canada's largest city, where such facilities have been operating for years as part of broader harm reduction efforts to combat the opioid crisis. Overdose prevention sites, often referred to as supervised consumption sites, allow individuals to use drugs under medical supervision to prevent fatal overdoses and connect users to treatment services.
"For most of the outcomes we looked at, effectively there was no change over time, or if there was, there were positive improvements reported month on month once the sites had been implemented," Panagiotoglou said in an interview. The research covered a 10-year period, providing a robust timeline to assess any potential impacts on community safety.
Key findings showed declines or stability in reports of serious crimes, including assaults, robberies, and thefts exceeding $5,000. Only one category bucked the trend: break and enters, which saw a temporary uptick right after sites opened but leveled off over time. "The exception being break and enters, where there seems to be an increase immediately after implementation that also appeared to correct over time," Panagiotoglou explained.
Panagiotoglou emphasized that while the data was specific to Toronto, the results could apply more broadly across Canada, where supervised consumption sites remain a flashpoint in public health debates. These facilities have faced opposition from some community members and politicians who argue they attract crime and disorder, but the McGill study suggests such fears may be unfounded.
The controversy, according to Panagiotoglou, is stalling vital progress in addressing the overdose epidemic. "There’s a hunger to understand this because when there is this tension about something like this, because it is a controversial kind of intervention in ways, that you know, a new improvement in cancer care just doesn’t get people nearly as concerned," she said. This sentiment underscores the polarized views on harm reduction strategies, which have saved thousands of lives nationwide but often spark local backlash.
In Alberta, where the opioid crisis has hit hard, there are currently five supervised consumption sites operating, two of which are in Edmonton. The George Spady Centre and Radius Community Health — formerly known as the Boyle McCauley Health Centre — provide these services in the city's core. However, not all sites have endured; the province shuttered a supervised consumption facility at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in December 2025, citing various operational concerns.
Addiction specialist Dr. Monty Ghosh, who advocates for expanded access to these services, welcomed the McGill findings as a potential turning point. "Supervised consumption sites do work. They do save lives. We can work with the community to make everybody feel safe as well. I think that’s what we really need to focus on," Ghosh said. He pointed out that perceptions of rising crime often stem from broader urban issues rather than the sites themselves.
Ghosh also addressed the knee-jerk reactions that lead to closures like the one at Royal Alexandra. "Just because there’s this perceived sense of increase in crime, doesn’t mean that these sites need to be shut down. It just means that we need to sort of address these perceived increases in crime, talk to the community, and work with the community," he added. His comments highlight the need for dialogue between health experts, residents, and policymakers.
The McGill study arrives amid a national conversation on drug policy, as Canada grapples with record overdose deaths. In 2023 alone, over 7,000 Canadians died from toxic drug supplies, according to Public Health Agency of Canada data, prompting calls for more evidence-based interventions. Supervised sites, first authorized federally in 2017, have been credited with reversing thousands of overdoses without a single on-site death.
Critics of the sites, including some conservative politicians and neighborhood associations, have long cited anecdotal reports of loitering and petty crime as reasons to oppose them. However, the Toronto-focused research counters this by relying on official police statistics rather than subjective accounts. Panagiotoglou noted that the initial spike in break and enters might relate to transitional factors, such as increased visibility of vulnerable populations, but it did not persist.
Edmonton's experiences with its sites offer a microcosm of the national debate. The George Spady Centre, operational since 2017, has managed over 1.5 million visits without reported crime surges in its immediate vicinity, according to local health reports. Radius Community Health, serving the Boyle Street area, similarly emphasizes community integration to mitigate any concerns.
The shutdown of the Royal Alexandra site in late 2025 drew sharp criticism from health advocates, who argued it left a gap in hospital-based care for patients at risk of overdose. Alberta Health Services officials at the time stated the decision was based on an internal review, though specifics were not disclosed. This event exemplifies how political pressures can override data-driven approaches.
Looking ahead, Panagiotoglou hopes the study will inform policy in provinces like Alberta and beyond. With federal support for harm reduction growing, yet local resistance persisting, evidence like this could pave the way for more sites. Ghosh echoed this, stressing collaborative efforts to build trust.
As communities weigh the balance between public safety and public health, the McGill research provides a factual anchor in a sea of opinions. Whether it sways skeptics remains to be seen, but for now, it reinforces that supervised consumption sites are not the crime magnets they've been portrayed as.