Publications

This webinar from February 24, 2026 looks at harm reduction in Canadian prisons through lived experience, frontline, clinical, legal, and institutional perspectives.

Hosted by the HIV Legal Network on February 12, 2026, this webinar examines the current political, legal, and social barriers to supervised consumption in Canada and how to push back.

Unhoused people and people who use drugs have rights like all other people in Canada. However, Ontario’s Safer Municipalities Act, 2025 (SMA) introduced new rules that give law enforcement, including some provincial offences officers, more powers to police drug use in public spaces. There are two parts to this law. Schedule 1 covers the public … Read more

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If you have experienced gender-based violence (GBV) and use drugs, you may face extra barriers when trying to access shelter. GBV and drug use are interconnected. Women, trans, and gender-diverse people who experience violence are more likely to use drugs, and those who use drugs are more likely to face violence. Yet, many who use … Read more

If you are living in a shelter with your children, you may encounter family policing services — commonly called “Children’s Aid Societies” (CAS) or “Family and Children’s Services” (FCS). This can happen suddenly, without your knowledge or an explanation. Knowing your rights can help you feel more prepared and better able to protect yourself and … Read more

Canadian civil society organizations are calling on Canada to continue showing leadership in global health, human rights, gender equality, and sexual and reproductive rights (SRHR) by supporting a strong Political Declaration at the HLM in June. Specifically, we urge Canada to demonstrate leadership in negotiations on the draft of the Political Declaration by supporting language … Read more

These recommendations were submitted to Canada’s House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance ahead of the 2026 federal budget.  

Shelters are more than temporary accommodation. They are essential services. They represent a safe space and a lifeline for many — and especially people who use drugs, who are overrepresented among people who are homeless and grappling with Canada’s toxic drug crisis. Shelters often connect people to vital services that are otherwise out of reach, … Read more

This submission to the Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law focuses on human rights violations against people in Canada of African descent, in the context of Canada’s drug laws.