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House Hansard - 228

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 3, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 228 - Oct/3/23
Mr. Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre, GP)
  • Oct/3/23 4:26:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise to present a petition on behalf of petitioners who, first of all, recognize that the overdose crisis is one that is a public health emergency. The petitioners note that more than 26,690 people have died of opioid-related causes since 2016. They also note that organizations including the Canadian Public Health Association, the Global Commission on Drug Policy, the World Health Organization and the United Nations have all recommended drug decriminalization. The petitioners then call on the Government of Canada to, first of all, declare a public health emergency as it relates to overdose deaths from poisoned drugs. They call on the government to reframe this crisis as one that is a public health issue and not a criminal one. The petitioners go on to list the need for a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach, such as one that has already been recommended by the expert panel to Health Canada, and they call for the decriminalization of poisoned drugs in Canada.
169 words
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