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History

The Ontario Harm Reduction Distribution Program (OHRDP) has been at the forefront of harm reduction in Ontario since 2006, providing essential supplies and educational resources to prevent the spread of hepatitis C, HIV, and other blood borne infections.

OHRDP

Timeline

1989
The first Needle Syringe Program is established through Toronto Public Health.
1997
Needle Syringe Programs are established as mandatory provincial programs.
2004
3.2M

Needles & Syringes distributed through Ontario Needle Syringe Programs.

2006
  • Ontario Harm Reduction Distribution Program (OHRDP) is established in response to the prevalence of HCV and HIV infection among people who inject drugs. To ensure communities through Public Health Units have access to evidence based harm reduction supplies.
  • Introduction of the Best Practice Recommendations for Canadian Harm Reduction Programs.
31
PUBLIC HEALTH UNITS

making harm reduction supplies available.

2007

OHRDP hosts the first ONTARIO HARM REDUCTION CONFERENCE, focusing on skills, knowledge and strategies in working with people who use drugs; 191 participants.

32
PUBLIC HEALTH UNITS
making harm reduction supplies available.

2008

Ontario Public Health standards state that boards of health in all public health regions ‘shall ensure access to a variety of sterile needles and syringes and may include other evidence informed harm reduction strategies in response to local surveillance’.

33
PUBLIC HEALTH UNITS
making harm reduction supplies available.

2009
9

Mobile Outreach
Programs in the province.

71

Fixed Site Needle
Syringe Programs.

2010
35
out of 36 Public Health Units

providing Harm Reduction Supplies.

2012
13

Mobile Outreach Programs in the province.

ALL

36
PUBLIC HEALTH UNITS

making harm reduction supplies available.

2013

Review of the Best Practice Recommendations for Canadian Harm Reduction Programs :Part 1.

2014

Safer smoking supplies now available through OHRDP to reduce risk of sharing blood borne viruses and other infections.

2015

Introduction of the Best Practice Recommendations: Part 2.

2016

867 Ontarians died from opioid overdose.

2017
  • First supervised Injection Site opens in Toronto.
  • While other communities open temporary sites to help address the rise in overdoses.
0 Ontarians

died in 2017 from Opioid overdose – a 46% increase since 2016.

169

Community disposal bins throughout Ontario.

2018
  • First Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) program is established to connect individuals who use substances to integrated wrap-around primary care, treatment, and other health and social services.

2019
  • 100% of Public Health Units are providing safer injecting and safer inhalation supplies
35

Mobile Outreach Programs in the province.

326

Community disposal bins throughout Ontario.

435
ACCESS POINTS

where anyone can obtain harm reduction supplies in the province.

2020
  • Covid-19 forced Programs to increase distribution of supplies in kits.
  • Hand wipes added to support Programs with Covid-19 protocols.
52

Mobile Outreach Programs in the province.

62%
OF HARM REDUCTION PROGRAMS

increase outreach services in response to COVID-19.

2021
  • Connecting – A guide to using harm reduction supplies as engagement tools is published.
  • OHRDP are authors in the updated Best Practice Recommendations for Canadian Harm Reduction Programs, Volume 3/Version.

2022
  • OHRDP collaborated with Queen’s University on research focused on Brass Screens for inhalation.
  • More than 460 access points in Ontario providing harm reduction supplies.

2024
  • Needles and Syringes are added to the OHRDP inventory to support a better centralized distribution system.
  • There are more than 830 locations in Ontario individuals can access harm reduction supplies.
839

Locations in Ontario where individuals can access harm reduction supplies.

Related Pages

What We Do

We work to ensure Ontario harm reduction programs have the supplies, education and knowledge they need to connect with service-users to support their health.

What We Do

Partners and Supporters

We partner with Provincial and National harm reduction programs to exchange the latest knowledge, skills, and approaches.
See Our Partners in the Dashboard
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