‘I won’t make it without this program’: the impact of safer opioid supply program closures in Ontario
This study highlights participants' concerns that SOS program closures may force them back into an increasingly dangerous unregulated market, ultimately putting their lives at risk, along with reversing the many benefits SOS programs provided, such as connections to essential health and social services. By replacing harm reduction programs with treatment services, the government is not reducing the demand for opioid use; instead, it forces a return to the unregulated drug market, ultimately putting individuals at risk of overdose.
Authors
- Farihah Ali (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2968-3824)
- Carol Strıke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2716-3681)
- Mohammad Karamouzian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5631-4469)
- Matthew Bonn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6406-0171)
- A. F. Bernard Shaw
- Cayley Russell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9634-9554)
- Nat Kaminski
- Jürgen Rehm
- Abigale Sprakes
- Jordan Mende-Gibson
- Andrzej Celinski
Institutions
- Clark College (US)
- St. Michael's Hospital (CA)
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CA)
- Universität Hamburg (DE)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Brampton Civic Hospital (CA)
- Canada Research Chairs (CA)
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use (CA)
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (DE)
- Institute for Community Health (US)
- Public Health Ontario (CA)
- Public Health Agency (GB)
- Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (Canada) (CA)
- Lakehead University (CA)
- Sheridan College (CA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Harm Reduction Journal
- Published
- 2025-09-24
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-025-01298-6
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.76
Funders
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research