The Alberta government has moved forward with the closure of two supervised drug consumption sites in 2025, with a third major site in Calgary slated to shut down in the new year. The province's Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction states the move is part of a shift to prioritize treatment and recovery services over harm reduction in certain settings.
Site Closures and the Shift to Recovery
The Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) supervised consumption site in Edmonton ceased operations on December 16, 2025. This followed the earlier shutdown of the Red Deer overdose prevention site on March 31, 2025. According to an official statement provided to Postmedia, the province's next target is the supervised consumption site at the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre in Calgary, which is planned for closure in early 2026.
The ministry emphasized that hospitals should be places focused on healing. "Hospitals are places of healing and services provided in hospital settings should support treatment, recovery, and wellness — not perpetuate addiction," the statement read. Following the RAH closure, Recovery Alberta is establishing a Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) clinic and a Recovery Response team at the hospital.
Lethbridge Request and Remaining Sites
The province is also reviewing the future of a temporary overdose prevention site in Lethbridge. The city council formally requested its closure and the reallocation of its $3.8 million in funding to other local recovery services. Lethbridge Mayor Blaine Hyggen, in a December media availability, cited a significant 89.7 per cent reduction in opioid-related deaths since 2023 as context for the request, though he noted the final decision rests with the province.
Following the Edmonton closure, Alberta's substance use dashboard shows five supervised consumption sites remain operational. However, with the impending Calgary closure and a potential Lethbridge shutdown, that number could soon drop to just three.
Expert Reaction and Policy Implications
The decision has drawn concern from some healthcare professionals specializing in addiction. Dr. Monty Ghosh, an addiction physician and associate professor at the University of Alberta, argues the closures send a clear message. "The province's decision sends a message that they're not supportive of substance use in a hospital setting," he said. Ghosh noted that for patients in acute care, discussing harm reduction can make them feel more welcome and supported within the hospital environment.
This policy shift marks a continued evolution in Alberta's approach to the ongoing opioid and addiction crisis, moving resources toward clinical treatment models and away from certain supervised consumption services, particularly those embedded within hospital campuses.
