Safe supply refers to a legal and regulated supply of psychoactive substances that traditionally have been accessible only through the illicit drug market.

Drugs included are opioids such as heroin, stimulants such as cocaine and crystal methamphetamine, hallucinogens such as MDMA and LSD, and cannabis.

In February 2019, the BC Centre on Substance Use released a white paper called Heroin Compassion Clubs: A cooperative model to reduce opioid overdose deaths & disrupt organized crime’s role in fentanyl, money laundering & housing unaffordability which described a model for regulating currently unregulated substances like heroin.

In July 2021, the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, Ministry of Health, and Office of the Provincial Health Officer released Access to Prescribed Safer Supply in British Columbia: Policy Direction, which enables individuals to access a range of medications through prescription to reduce the risk of drug toxicity death due to accessing the illicit drug supply.

Community-led approaches to safe supply include compassion clubs. Learn more here.