MONTR\u00c9AL, November 19, 2025 \u2013 The Coalition for Supervised Consumption Services in Quebec (SCS) firmly denounces the adoption of Bill 103 by the National Assembly. This law represents a dangerous setback in the fight against the overdose crisis. By weakening already established services and erecting barriers to the opening of new SCS, the government is endangering essential health services that save lives and whose effectiveness is well established.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":4585,"template":"","actualite_type":[8,176],"actualite_sujet":[],"action_combat":[38,44],"mdm_pays":[],"class_list":["post-5271","actualite","type-actualite","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","actualite_type-national-actions","actualite_type-press-releases","action_combat-precarity","action_combat-harm-reduction"],"acf":{"mise_en_avant":false,"chapeau":"MONTR\u00c9AL, November 19, 2025 \u2013 The Coalition for Supervised Consumption Services in Quebec (SCS) firmly denounces the adoption of Bill 103 by the National Assembly. This law represents a dangerous setback in the fight against the overdose crisis. By weakening already established services and erecting barriers to the opening of new SCS, the government is endangering essential health services that save lives and whose effectiveness is well established.","cta_type":"aucun","cta_lien":"","contenu":"
While the government claims to seek a balance between the needs of people who use drugs and those of the neighbourhood, the Coalition rejects the legislative approach that undermines the work of organizations under the pretext of social cohabitation. This law perpetuates the idea that the tensions observed in neighbourhoods stem from the services themselves, rather than from the structural crises (housing, mental health, overdoses) that these organizations are precisely trying to address.<\/p>\n
The Coalition recalls that the tensions observed in several neighbourhoods stem primarily from a set of structural factors, as well as public policies that further marginalize the most vulnerable individuals. The adoption of this new law unfortunately aligns with this trend, much like the lack of renewal of the Quebec Overdose Prevention Strategy, an essential tool left in limbo without any work appearing to have been initiated. Instead of strengthening public health responses, the law weakens the organizations that precisely mitigate the impacts of these crises.
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Although the Coalition has always opposed the very principle of legislating Supervised Consumption Services (SCS), it nevertheless took several actions to amend Bill 103 in the hope of mitigating its negative consequences. These efforts led to the complete removal of any form of authorization for a space primarily intended to serve people experiencing homelessness. This provision had no relevance other than creating an unjustified amalgam between homelessness and drug use. The bill was also amended to specify that the social cohabitation plan is now the responsibility of Sant\u00e9 Qu\u00e9bec, in collaboration with municipal actors and relevant stakeholders. However, members of the Coalition remain deeply concerned about the concrete implementation of these mitigation measures and their actual effectiveness on the ground.
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The law introduces constraints that risk reducing access to services rather than strengthening it, by undermining the autonomy of community organizations and adding geographical limits that do not reflect the realities on the ground. These elements do not meet the urgent needs of the most affected communities.<\/p>\n
The Coalition remains vigilant regarding the implementation of this new law and the commitments made by the Minister Delegate for Health, Sonia B\u00e9langer, particularly concerning cohabitation issues, which do not constitute a reason to refuse authorization to an organization. The minister has also committed to providing concrete support to SCS to ensure the continuity of their essential mission. However, the announced modalities remain unclear, particularly in terms of human and financial resources.<\/p>\n
The Coalition therefore expects the government to apply this law in a manner consistent with its commitments and with the recognition it has itself expressed for SCS as essential actors in saving lives and mitigating the social tensions surrounding the overdose crisis.
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The Coalition for Supervised Consumption Services in Quebec brings together thirty (30) organizations. Their work is based on years of direct intervention, clinical expertise, research, and commitment to people in situations of great precariousness. Together, they form an indispensable voice in the fight against the overdose crisis and social exclusion.<\/p>\n