The Ontario government is moving to close safe consumption sites for drug users near schools and to prevent the construction of any new sites near schools as well.

The office of Ontario Premier Doug Ford confirmed the transition to CP24 on Tuesday.

These changes mean that no new site will be allowed to be established within 200 meters of any school.

At the same time, new centers focused on supporting and treating drug users will be constructed.

Harm reduction advocates have defended safe consumption sites as a way to help mitigate opioid-related deaths, which have increased in recent years as the safety of drug supplies has declined.

Supervised consumption sites in Toronto allow individuals to bring their own drugs for use inside a clinical space, in the presence of trained health professionals who can provide immediate treatment in the event of an overdose. The sites also connect drug users to health and social services.

The first site in Toronto opened in 2017 and there are currently 10 sites providing service in Toronto. Six of them are regionally designated consumption and treatment sites funded by the province.

However, scrutiny of the sites intensified following the death of Caroline Hubner Makurat, a 44-year-old mother who was struck by a stray bullet near a safe consumption site close to Queen Street and Carlo Street in Leslieville last summer.

Police said a fight broke out between three men that escalated into violence.

Charges have since been laid against two of the suspects in the shooting, while police believe a third has fled the country.

A fourth person - an employee of the consumption site - has also been charged with being an accessory after the fact and one count of obstructing justice related to the shooting. However, police have not specified how this person is connected to the shooting.

Residents in the area have expressed concerns about visible drug use, aggressive behavior, and drug paraphernalia around the site.

Advocates for the sites say that the housing and mental health crises have overwhelmed the available services.

The Premier's office said more details about the changes are expected to be provided by Health Minister Sylvia Jones later this afternoon when she addresses the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference in Ottawa.