C-272 (45-1) - An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (supervised drug consumption sites)
Chamber
commons
Stage
1st Reading
Introduced
Mar 26, 2026
Progress
This bill bans supervised drug consumption sites from operating within 500 metres of schools, daycares, or playgrounds.
Key Changes
- Bans supervised drug consumption sites from being located within 500 metres of elementary schools, secondary schools, daycares, or playgrounds
- Applies to both fixed and mobile supervised consumption sites
- Automatically revokes any existing federal exemptions or authorizations that allow sites within the 500-metre restricted zone
- Mobile sites must not provide services when within 500 metres of the listed locations
- Prevents future federal regulations or exemptions from overriding this restriction
- Takes effect 180 days after receiving royal assent
Gotchas
- Existing sites within the 500-metre zone would lose their legal authorization automatically 180 days after the bill passes, potentially forcing closures without a transition plan for users
- The 500-metre rule applies regardless of local community support or public health assessments, removing case-by-case flexibility from the federal exemption process
- In dense urban areas, the 500-metre restriction could effectively make it very difficult to find eligible locations for supervised consumption sites
- The bill does not define 'playground,' which could create ambiguity about what qualifies and how the distance is measured
- Mobile sites face an ongoing operational restriction rather than a fixed location ban, requiring them to continuously monitor their proximity to listed locations
Who's Affected
- Operators of existing supervised drug consumption sites located near schools, daycares, or playgrounds
- People who use supervised consumption sites for harm reduction services
- Municipal and provincial governments that support or host these sites
- Health organizations and harm reduction advocates
- Families and communities near schools and playgrounds
- Federal health regulators who issue exemptions under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- Existing sites within the 500-metre zone would lose their legal authorization automatically 180 days after the bill passes, potentially forcing closures without a transition plan for users
- The 500-metre rule applies regardless of local community support or public health assessments, removing case-by-case flexibility from the federal exemption process
- In dense urban areas, the 500-metre restriction could effectively make it very difficult to find eligible locations for supervised consumption sites
- The bill does not define 'playground,' which could create ambiguity about what qualifies and how the distance is measured
- Mobile sites face an ongoing operational restriction rather than a fixed location ban, requiring them to continuously monitor their proximity to listed locations
Summary
Bill C-272 would change the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to prohibit supervised drug consumption sites (also called safe injection sites or overdose prevention sites) from being located within 500 metres of any elementary school, secondary school, daycare centre, or playground. This applies to both permanent and mobile sites. No federal regulation or exemption could be used to allow a site to operate within that distance. The bill was introduced by MP Dan Mazier as a private member's bill. It affects existing sites as well as future ones — any current exemption or authorization that allows a site within 500 metres of these locations would be automatically revoked 180 days after the bill becomes law. Mobile sites would be required to stay outside the 500-metre zone at all times. Supervised consumption sites are facilities where people can use pre-obtained illegal drugs under medical supervision to reduce the risk of overdose deaths. They currently require a federal exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to operate legally. This bill would add a geographic restriction on top of that existing process.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses