Ontario: Lives are At Risk
Ontario has passed two dangerous laws - Bill 6 and Bill 223 - that will make the toxic drug crisis even deadlier, while doing nothing to address its root causes.
Instead of investing in housing, health care and community-led harm reduction to support those using drugs, Bill 6 expands police powers to arrest and forcibly evict suspected drug use in public places. This impacts people who live outdoors, whether they use drugs or not, likely increasing surveillance, displacement and arrest. This bill also allows for fines up to $10,000, in addition to jail time, reinforcing a cycle of poverty that is nearly impossible to break. This is not support for those in need, this is crippling punishment.
At the same time, Bill 223 has mandated the closure of at least 10 supervised consumption sites - the very places people rely on to stay alive.
The consequences are deadly. Overdose deaths will increase. Indigenous people who use drugs, especially Indigenous women, will face the greatest harms. Indigenous women are already facing overly high incarceration rates and targeting by police.
People who use drugs are people with rights. These laws violate those rights - and put lives at risk.
Your action today can help push back against policies that punish people for surviving a housing crisis and a toxic drug crisis. When evidence, experts, and communities are ignored, public pressure becomes essential.
Take action now: Call on the Ontario government to repeal Bill 6 and Bill 223 and invest in community-led harm reduction.
Dear Premier Ford,
I am writing to urge your government to repeal Bill 6 and Bill 223, which punish poverty, displace Indigenous people from their communities, and make the toxic drug crisis more deadly.
People who use drugs rely on harm reduction services and each other to stay alive. Removing these supports and increasing police powers will cause more preventable deaths. Indigenous people - especially Indigenous women - are disproportionately harmed.
People who use drugs have the right to life, safety, and equality. Ontario must uphold these rights. Keeping these laws in place will deepen the crisis, fuel public backlash, strain emergency services, and could expose your government to legal and financial consequences. Repealing them now would show leadership, reduce costs, and prevent more deaths.
I call on you to:
• Repeal Bill 6 and end the criminalization of people who use drugs and people living outdoors.
• Reverse the closure of safe consumption sites and restore funding.
• Repeal Bill 223.
• Invest in community-led, evidence-based harm reduction.
Act now to protect lives.
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
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