TORONTO — A new study suggests diverting intoxicated people from emergency rooms to a safe recovery space significantly reduces ambulance drop-off times. The study, published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health this week, evaluated the first two years of a non-medical Stabilization and Connection Centre in Toronto launched by the University Health Network in 2022. The centre was created to redirect people who are intoxicated by alcohol or opioids and don’t require medical attention from the ER to a 10-bed facility with support workers. The study says paramedics were on site for a mean of about seven minutes, compared to more than 34 minutes at two nearby ERs. Dr. Andrew Boozary, one of the centre’s founders, says that means paramedics were back on the streets much faster. Less than seven per cent of patients were transferred to hospital from the stabilization centre, which Boozary says shows this approach is safe and catching the people who need it. More than half of the centre’s 4,500 visits were among people who were homeless. “The status quo wasn’t working for the way the system was responding to many of the alcohol intoxication and opioid overdoses, especially for people who are experiencing homelessness,” Boozary says. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2026. Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content. Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press
