Do Safe Injection Sites actually help? Does the data support it? According to a study published in March of 2026, not necessarily. This is Kym Kaufmann, CEO of The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence explaining the study and it's findings out of Alberta 🇨🇦 Let's unpack. 🧵

@RecovExcel @KeithNHumphreys @samhsagov @roneetlev You know what worked really well? Deterrence in Japan, Singapore, China, and South Korea. But it’s never cited, studied, or even considered.

@RecovExcel @KeithNHumphreys @samhsagov @roneetlev @Prev_Justice

The Province of Alberta had 2 "Overdose Prevention Centers about 70 miles apart in the communities of Red Deer and Lethbridge. Alberta closed the site in Red Deer while keeping Lethbridge open. the media and the harm reductionists insisted this would lead to more deaths. Wrong.

What actually happened was data remained flat around overdose incidents, OD deaths and ER visits the first 6 months after the Safe Injection Site was shut down. Kinda contradicts the media's quote: "We know that when these services are shut down, more people die." @madras_bertha @KevinSabet @DiscoveryCWP @InstituteCicero

You know what increased? Access to treatment and OAT (Opioid Agonist Therapy) which is Suboxone or Sublocade which reduce cravings and is often a first step towards treatment and recovery. The evidence is right here and in the published study.

You know what this tells me? Safe Injection Sites are not a solution to the drug crisis. Instead, they're a cornerstone of a social justice movement to respect the autonomy of people who use drugs at taxpayer expense. That is not good drug policy. @GoodDrugPolicy

CoRE is doing another study that will track results up to one year after the closure of the Red Deer Safe Injection Site. Data is finally emerging to debunk these sites and I'm grateful to the @ONDCP and @samhsagov in the U.S. for embracing recovery and treatment first.

Next up? Let's shut down the two Safe Injection Sites operating in violation of federal law in Harlem, NYC. The 1986 Anti-Drug Abuse Act prohibits these sites in the U.S. Not sure why @KathyHochul is allowing them in light of this new evidence. Read the study. know the truth.

@RecovExcel @KeithNHumphreys @samhsagov @roneetlev FYI.