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Context: House Hansard - 23 - Feb/3/22

Mrs. Élisabeth Brière (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Lib.)

Feb/3/22 6:36:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to see that the member for Courtenay—Alberni has fully recovered from COVID-19. I thank him for his work and his commitment to ending the opioid overdose crisis and eliminating the toxic drug supply in Canada, and also for starting this discussion this evening. Our hearts go out to all the families and communities of those we have lost to opioid overdoses. Our government recognizes that problematic substance use is, first and foremost, a public health issue. We will keep working with our partners to find ways to support the programs and services that divert drug users away from the criminal justice system and toward health and social service supports, such as supervised consumption sites and addiction treatment services. On December 7, my hon. colleague, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, introduced a bill that, as part of a suite of measures, would ask police and prosecutors to consider alternatives to prosecution, such as diversion and treatment programs, for certain drug-related offences. The Public Prosecution Service of Canada has also issued guidance, stating, “alternatives to prosecution should be considered for simple possession offences”.

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Context: House Hansard - 23 - Feb/3/22

Mrs. Élisabeth Brière

Feb/3/22 6:41:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government understands the urgency of the situation and is moving forward with an evidence-based approach to ending this crisis. Overcoming the stigma associated with substance use is also essential in addressing this whole-of-society problem. It is vitally important to our work to turn the tide on this crisis. This includes investing over $30 million to help change attitudes and perceptions about people who use drugs and an additional $25-million commitment in our most recent platform to reduce the stigma. Our government is working with the provinces and territories and with communities to develop a comprehensive health-based strategy to address this tragedy. This includes $500 million to support our partners in providing a range of treatment options. We will continue doing—

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Context: House Hansard - 23 - Feb/3/22

Mrs. Élisabeth Brière

Feb/3/22 6:41:10 p.m.
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Health Canada is also currently reviewing several requests submitted for a section 56 exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to decriminalize the personal possession of drugs on a case-by-case basis. Several factors are at play in this tragedy. The appearance of synthetic opioids in the illegal drug market coincided with a dramatic rise in fatal overdoses. We know the pandemic resulted in an even more unstable and dangerous supply of illegal drugs, which led to many more overdose-related deaths across the country. Our government believes that providing a safe supply of drugs prescribed by health care professionals is essential to helping prevent overdoses. This is part of our comprehensive plan to tackle the opioid overdose crisis. We have allowed pharmacists and practitioners to extend, renew and transfer prescriptions to make it easier for people who use drugs to access the life-saving medications they need during the pandemic. However, in addition to this government action, we have to keep working on helping the public understand that substance use problems are not a choice, but a treatable medical condition that calls for an array of care and treatment options. Our comprehensive public health approach is built on our previous actions, which included over $700 million invested in community projects aimed at reducing risk, preventing harm and providing treatment. We are working closely with our provincial, territorial and municipal partners, along with other key stakeholders, to reduce harm, save lives and get people the supports they need. Canadians can rest assured that combatting the opioid overdose crisis is a priority for our government.

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