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Sean Leblanc survived his opiate addiction "by the skin of my teeth," and he's seen too many friends fall victim to their own personal demons to stand idly by.

"Many of us here have lost friends and family members, people we love and respect, and I think we as a country and a community can do better," said Leblanc, chair of the Drug Users Advocacy League, leading a rally on Parliament Hill Sunday to voice support for bringing supervised injection sites to Ottawa.

"I know from having been there, people don't want to be sticking a needle in their arm every day, and we need to be providing the support and love and services and basic access to care so that they can make positive changes in their lives."

Calling on the City of Ottawa to endorse a supervised injection site for drug users, about 100 protesters gathered on the steps of Parliament Hill Sunday afternoon.

The Campaign for Safer Consumption Sites in Ottawa maintains that a facility, one similar to Vancouver’s Insite clinic, would reduce overdoses and infectious diseases, as well as refer drug users to addictions services.

But Ottawa Public Health said Sunday it has no plans to open such a service and is monitoring community discussions.

CBC Ottawa reports on the rally for supervised consumption sites held March 23 on Parliament Hill. 100 supporters showed up to call on city health officials to join them in leading the push for a medically supervised facility for drug users in Ottawa.

This Sunday March 23rd at 1pm, supporters of the Campaign for Safer Consumption Sites in Ottawa will rally on Parliament Hill to amplify the growing demand for a supervised injection site in our nation’s capital.

Supervised injection sites are a medical intervention proven to reduce public drug use, avert the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV, and prevent overdose fatalities. These sites have vocal support from experts across the Canadian health care community, including the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Nurses Association.

Drug overdose occurs daily in the city of Ottawa, claiming at least two lives each month. Among people who inject drugs, HIV infection rates in Ottawa are the highest in the province, while hepatitis C rates are the highest in the country. These figures are appalling considering that there is a cost-effective, humane alternative already practiced in Canada and around the world. Vancouver's Insite has been saving lives and improving the health of its clients for over a decade, and has received unanimous support from the Supreme Court of Canada.