Thousands of Canadian drug users dying as government red tape limits help, advocates say

All for an unsanctioned, pop-up safe site for local drug users, specifically geared to people who inhale rather than inject. The nearest official safe consumption site is in Peterborough, almost 60 kilometres away. Harm reduction worker Ashley Smoke and other volunteers operate an unsanctioned, pop-up safe smoking site in Cobourg, Ont., on Friday nights. Photo: (CBC) / Marnie LukeBut other significant bureaucratic hurdles remain, especially for safe sites that receive provincial funding. In April, the inhalation sites recorded more than 35,000 visits, according to the latest update from the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions.