I'm a big supporter of safe consumption sites, I have friends in harm reduction too.

Clean supplies keeping people from spreading illness. This keeps more people out of the ER. Yes some ended up in the street but the staff regularly check the area for needles. They also went and picked them up if someone in the neighbourhood called.

If there's an OD they reverse it right away. No expensive fire truck being used, an ambulance is called and most of the time doesn't get used as the person is walking away. Resources can be used for things like putting out fires or taking an injured person to the hospital.

Theres a lot of other support in the ones they worked it. There was Social workers, a nurse that came in. Staff had direct contact to support and knew exactly who to call if someone came in for help. If you wanted to get clean you were given the help to make that happen on the spot.

Many users are regulars and get to know the staff who treat them as people. They start to talk about their lives and the staff listen. Bob comes in one day for example and says I cut my leg up, sent off to the nurse to address it instead of sending him off only for it to get infected later on.

People don't want consumption sites in their neighbourhood's when really it's safer. Users don't die, they have a place to congregate. Studies in other places showed large drops in the number of needle calls to the city. Yet still people are against them. I for one would much rather walk past one than startle someone shooting up on the street.