Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre clarified that supervised consumption sites are merely "drug dens" and that he will close them if his party forms the next government.

Poilievre visited a park near such a site in Montreal this morning and stated that he would close all sites close to schools, playgrounds, and "anywhere else that puts the public at risk."

The first supervised injection site opened in Vancouver more than 20 years ago.

These sites aim to attempt to prevent overdoses by allowing people to bring drugs to use under the supervision of trained staff.

A 2011 Supreme Court ruling stated that closing the Vancouver site would deny users their rights under the Charter.

Poilievre said this ruling does not mean that supervised drug sites can operate anywhere without any restrictions.