Archive · 30 Sep 2026
Canada's Federal Prisons Add Paper Straws For Safer Drug Use
Canada’s federal prisons say some inmates use drugs despite a rule banning illicit drugs.
Some inmates reportedly snort drugs using unsafe objects.
The prisons will provide paper straws to help reduce cuts inside the nose.
The straws may also lower the chance of spreading infections through blood.
They do not remove the danger of overdose or toxic drugs.
Inmates will also receive strips that can test for fentanyl, benzodiazepines, and xylazine.
Officials say the supplies are part of a health-focused drug strategy.
The goal is to reduce harm and support rehabilitation and recovery.
The Correctional Service of Canada will distribute paper straws to inmates for safer drug snorting.
The supplies aim to reduce nasal injuries and blood-borne infection risks, while overdose dangers remain.
Inmates will also receive testing strips for fentanyl, benzodiazepines, and xylazine.
The Correctional Service of Canada maintains a zero-tolerance policy but acknowledges drugs enter federal institutions.
The initiative follows increased inhalation, smoking, and snorting, with reported lifetime injection-drug-use histories among many incoming inmates.
- Who
- The Correctional Service of Canada and inmates in Canada’s federal prisons.
- What
- Federal prisons will distribute paper straws and drug-testing strips as harm-reduction supplies.
- When
- The Correctional Service of Canada confirmed the plan this week; the related report was published last year.
- Where
- Federal correctional institutions in Canada.
- Why
- To reduce nasal injuries, infectious-disease transmission, and overdose risks as drug-use methods evolve.
- Agency
- Correctional Service of Canada (CSC)
- New supply
- Paper straws for safer drug snorting
- Testing strips
- Strips for fentanyl, benzodiazepines, and xylazine
- Drug policy
- CSC maintains a zero-tolerance policy for illicit drugs
- Health rationale
- Reduce injuries, infectious-disease transmission, and overdose risks
- Reported injection-drug history
- 20–22% of incoming men and 27–29% of incoming women reported lifetime injection drug use
- Policy framework
- CSC’s National Drugs and Substances Strategy treats substance use as a health issue