Feb 2026

Safe consumption sites save lives, reduce overdoses, and ease pressure on overcrowded emergency rooms. Front-line workers warn Alberta’s health system is already “cracking under pressure,” and EMS is seeing the impact—Edmonton alone accounts for 65% of opioid-related calls province-wide.

Closing evidence-based harm reduction services risks pushing more overdoses into homes and public spaces, leading to busier ERs and a greater risk of fatal outcomes.

Nurses, health workers, and community members are calling for solutions that strengthen—not strain—Alberta’s public health system.

Click HERE for the new spotlight on Safe Consumption Site Closures & Emergency Room Capacities