Vancouver to consider 2-year pilot that would allow indoor smoking at supervised consumption sites

Two men are seen at an outdoor supervised consumption site in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, on Thursday, May 27, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

To combat the toxic drug overdose crisis, Vancouver city staff are recommending that indoor smoking be allowed in supervised consumption sites.

Vancouver has four federally-approved spaces where services such as supervision for the inhalation, injection, oral and intranasal consumption of drugs are offered.

However, a city by-law banning indoor smoking means that supervised inhalation spaces must be outdoors—but staff say there’s a limited number of locations for these services.

“Staff believe that non-enforcement of the health by-law at a small number of supervised consumption sites can make an important contribution to life-saving efforts and serve as a pilot.”

The proposed pilot would last for two years, according to city staff, and will result in a report back to council no later than June 30, 2025.

One of Vancouver’s federally approved sites has already applied for a permits to build six indoor inhalation booths at 611 Powell St., where staff say no suitable outdoor options exist.

If council approves the recommendation, which is being tabled at the Standing Committee on Policy and Strategic Priorities meeting on May 31, staff will be able to approve the application.

The pilot project would not involve overdose prevention sites, which are provincially-approved and operated by local health authorities.

There are currently nine overdose prevention sites in Vancouver—two of which offer outdoor inhalation services.

Staff say the aim of their recommendation is to reduce harms and death from drug overdoses, and there are no financial implications associated with their plan.

The cost of not adopting more tools to address the toxic drug crisis, however, could be significant.

In the seven years since a public-health emergency was declared, the BC Coroners Service says at least 12,046 people across the province have died from toxic drug overdose.

Data from the BCCS shows that smoking was the most common way people who overdosed between 2017 and 2021 consumed their drugs.

“In 2021, smoking was the leading mode of consumption in all health services delivery area,” the BCCS wrote in a knowledge update last October.