45th Parliament · Session 1
Bill C-272: An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (supervised drug consumption sites)
Introduced
March 26, 2026
Current Stage
OutsideOrderPrecedence
Last Updated
March 26, 2026
Sponsor
Dan Mazier
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Bill C-272
Thu Mar 26 2026
An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (supervised drug consumption sites)
Impact Rating
4/5
Short Summary
This bill bans supervised drug consumption sites from operating within 500 metres of schools, daycares, or playgrounds, and forces existing sites in these zones to close or move.
This bill restricts where supervised drug consumption sites can be located in Canada. It amends federal drug laws to strictly prohibit any safe injection or consumption site from operating within 500 metres of an elementary school, secondary school, daycare centre, or playground. If passed, it will also force existing sites located within these zones to close or relocate within six months, and prevent mobile consumption sites from operating near these areas.
Why does this bill exist?
Origin (Public Outcry/Event)
Response to rising community concerns and political debates regarding public safety, public drug use, and the location of harm reduction facilities in Canadian cities.
Bans the federal government from approving any new supervised drug consumption sites within 500 metres of an elementary school, secondary school, daycare, or playground.
Revokes the operating exemptions for existing supervised consumption sites located in these restricted zones, effectively forcing them to close or relocate.
Requires mobile supervised consumption sites to cease providing services anytime they are parked or located within 500 metres of these child-focused areas.
Gives affected sites and local health authorities a 180-day grace period (about six months) after the bill becomes law to comply with the new rules.
Parents
(Rights Expanded)
Will have a guaranteed 500-metre federal buffer zone keeping legally sanctioned drug consumption sites away from areas where their children learn and play.
Healthcare Workers
(Harder)
Harm reduction staff will face severe logistical challenges to relocate existing facilities and may struggle to find legally permissible locations in dense urban areas.
Everyday citizens
(Neutral)
Those not living near or utilizing these specific healthcare facilities will see no direct change to their daily routines.
Provincial Impact
Provincial Impact
While the drug law is federal, healthcare is managed provincially. Provinces and municipalities that fund these sites will have to scramble to find new real estate, negotiate new leases, and relocate staff and services to comply with the federal boundary.
Benefits & Pros
Prioritizes the safety and security of children by keeping drug consumption activities away from schools, daycares, and playgrounds.
Provides clear, national zoning rules for consumption sites, preventing local disputes over proximity to child-focused areas.
Responds to community concerns about discarded needles and public disorder near educational and childcare facilities.
Beneficiaries
Risks & Cons
Could force the closure of critical healthcare services in dense urban areas where finding a location further than 500 metres from any school, daycare, or playground is nearly impossible.
May lead to an increase in public drug use and overdose deaths if people who use drugs lose access to their established safe consumption sites.
Overrides local and provincial decision-making regarding where healthcare facilities should be located to best serve the community.
Affected Groups
Before & After
Currently, the federal government grants exemptions for supervised consumption sites based on community need, which can sometimes place them near schools or daycares. Under this bill, an absolute 500-metre ban would be enforced federally, forcing any existing sites near these areas to close.
Real World Scenario
Currently: A supervised consumption site operates legally 300 metres down the street from an elementary school because the local health authority approved the location. Under this Bill: The site's federal exemption would be automatically revoked, forcing it to close or move to a location at least 500 metres away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sponsor
Member of Parliament
House of Commons
First reading
Completed on March 26, 2026
Second reading
Not yet started
Consideration in committee
Not yet started
Report stage
Not yet started
Third reading
Not yet started
Senate
First reading
Not yet started
Second reading
Not yet started
Third reading
Not yet started
Abuse Potential
The bill relies on a strict 500-metre radius from schools, daycares, and playgrounds without allowing for local geographic context. Because daycares and small parks are everywhere in dense urban environments, applying this buffer zone federally could functionally ban supervised consumption sites from entire downtown cores. Future governments opposed to harm reduction could use this geographic restriction to indirectly eliminate safe consumption sites without explicitly banning them. Furthermore, the term 'playground' is not strictly defined in the text, potentially allowing minor park infrastructure to trigger the 500-metre ban and complicate enforcement or invite legal challenges.
Implementation Risk
Extremely high. Finding commercial real estate in urban centers that is not within 500 metres of a school, daycare, or playground may be mathematically impossible in some cities. This could create a massive backlog or force outright closures of healthcare facilities.
Broad Economic Impact
Indirect. Could impact property values near closed sites, but requires municipal health budgets to spend money on relocation.
Everyday Life
Moderate impact. Neighborhoods currently hosting these sites near schools may see them close, reducing local foot traffic and related activities.
Admin Burden
Requires existing safe consumption sites to find new locations, negotiate leases, or shut down entirely.
Timeline
Phased in over 180 days (about six months) after receiving Royal Assent.
