The safe supply debate concerns whether providing pharmaceutical-grade drugs to people with substance use disorders is an appropriate response to the toxic drug crisis. Safe supply programs provide prescribed alternatives to street drugs contaminated with fentanyl and other dangerous substances, aiming to prevent overdose deaths. Federal Health Canada authorizes pilot programs, while implementation involves provincial health systems and local health authorities. Some municipalities support safe supply as harm reduction, while others oppose it as enabling addiction. The debate reflects broader tensions between harm reduction approaches (prioritizing keeping people alive) and abstinence-focused approaches (emphasizing treatment and recovery), with significant disagreement about evidence and values.