The Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act is a new law that is part of the province’s Safer Municipalities Act. The other part includes changes to the Trespass to Property Act.
The Safer Municipalities Act became law in 2025. This legislation gives police and bylaw officers new powers to order people to:
- stop using illegal substances in public places, including encampments, or
- leave an area.
The Safer Municipalities Act also increases fines and prison sentences for public drug use. And it increases penalties for people who are trespassing.
In this submission, the HIV Legal Network and HALCO urge the Ontario government to repeal the law and reject a new proposal to extend coercive arrest and enforcement authority to transit constables.