Views of Drug Consumption Sites in British Columbia
Vancouver, BC August 11, 2026 – A new Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Neighbours of 900 Helmcken (www.inplainsightbc.com) shows that most British Columbians think drug consumption sites are not a good use of taxpayer money and that the provincial government has failed to make real improvements on the broader issue of the addiction and overdose crisis.
Drug consumption sites were defined in this survey as “facilities where people can use pre-obtained drugs under the supervision of trained staff. They are sometimes called overdose prevention sites (OPS) or safe injection sites.”
British Columbians do not believe that drug consumption sites are a good use of taxpayer money, and think the money would be better spent on treatment and recovery services
Only about one-quarter (26%) of BC residents agree that “drug consumption sites are a good use of taxpayer money”, while slightly more than six-in-ten (62%) disagree and 12% are undecided.
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of BC residents agree that “the money spent on drug consumption sites would be better spent on treatment and recovery services”, while only 15% disagree and 12% are undecided.
A majority of British Columbians think drug consumption sites have worsened the addiction crisis, visible public drug use, crime and street disorder, and community safety
A majority of BC residents say that drug consumption sites have worsened each of the following:
• The overall addiction crisis in BC (58% worsened vs. 7% improved, 27% not changed)
• The amount of visible public drug use in the surrounding areas (57% worsened vs. 10% improved, 22% not changed)
• The amount of crime and street disorder in the surrounding areas (57% worsened vs. 5% improved, 24% not changed)
• The level of community safety in the surrounding areas (54% worsened vs. 6% improved, 27% not changed)
Views are more balanced, but still more negative than positive, when it comes to the impact of drug consumption sites on the number of drug users accessing treatment and recovery services (31% worsened vs. 13% improved, 29% not changed) and overall safety for drug users (31% worsened vs. 22% improved, 29% not changed).
British Columbians do not want a drug consumption site in their own neighbourhood
Seven-in-ten (70%) BC residents say they would oppose (52% “strongly oppose”) having a drug consumption site open in their own neighbourhood. Slightly less than one-quarter (23%) say they would support a neighbourhood site, while 7% are undecided.
British Columbians do not think the provincial government is doing a good job addressing the addiction and overdose crisis
Only about two-in-ten (19%) BC residents agree with the statement that “I think the provincial government is doing a good job addressing the addiction and overdose crisis”. Seven-in-ten (71%) disagree the provincial government is doing a good job on this issue, while 10% are undecided.
Even fewer British Columbians (17%) agree that “I'm seeing real improvements as a result of the money government is ending on the addiction and overdose crisis issues”. Seven-in-ten (69%) disagree they see real improvements, while 14% are undecided.
About the Study
These are the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted July 13 to 17, 2026 on behalf of Neighbours of 900 Helmcken (www.inplainsightbc.com). For this survey, a sample of 801 adult British Columbians were surveyed online with sample sourced through the Ipsos panel. Data was weighted by BC region, age, gender and education, in accordance with Census proportions. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ±4.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Kyle Braid
SVP, Ipsos Public Affairs
+1 604 788-2417
[email protected]
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