Question Period Note: Federal Policy on Substance Use and Overdose Crisis

N/A

• We need to leverage every available tool to save lives and protect the health, social wellbeing and safety of Canadians.
• Our government’s response is compassionate and comprehensive. We have expanded access to quality prevention, harm reduction and treatment to save lives.
• We can’t end this crisis alone. All levels of government and partners must come together to ensure a full range of integrated, evidence-based services and supports.
IF PRESSED ON IMPACT OF INVESTMENTS
• Since 2017, our Government has invested more than $1 billion to directly address the overdose crisis and our urgent actions have made a difference.
• We funded prevention activities to educate and protect our youth.
• We provided emergency funding to provinces and territories to increase access to treatment services.
• We significantly expanded access to life-saving harm reduction services and supports, including Supervised Consumption Sites and Naloxone.
• We will continue to invest in evidence based actions that will reduce harms and save lives.
IF PRESSED ON THE CDSS
• In response to the overdose crisis, the government is supporting expanded access and quality to a full continuum of evidence-based services to support individuals and communities across Canada.
• Our renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy takes a public health and public safety approach to the overdose crisis and substance use.
• The strategy is informed by the advice of experts, including health professionals, Chiefs of Police, and the experience of communities across Canada.
IF PRESSED ON CDSS INVESTMENTS IN BUDGET 2023
• Budget 2023 provided a total of $359.2 million over five years to support a renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy.
• The renewed strategy continues to address both public health and public safety, and guides the Government's work to save lives and protect the health of Canadians.
• Recognizing the need for comprehensive approaches to save lives, our actions include improving access to treatment and harm reduction; increasing awareness, prevention and stigma reduction activities; further building the evidence base; and strengthening enforcement to address illegal drug production and trafficking.
IF PRESSED ON INVOLUNTARY TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE USE
• A full continuum of supports is necessary to meet people who use drugs where they are.
• Seeking treatment for substance use is an individual choice, and for people who use drugs, involuntary treatment may exacerbate stigmatization and be a barrier to accessing life-saving care.
• To ensure compassionate, comprehensive and collaborative care, our Government supports evidence-based, person-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally safe treatment options.
IF PRESSED ON CANADA’S COOPERATION WITH THE UNITED STATES
• Canada stands with the United States in supporting work to address the toxic illegal drug supply that is driving the overdose crisis.
• Our Government recognizes the importance of working with a global coalition of countries to address the crisis and protect the health and safety of the people living in our respective jurisdictions.
• Canada will work closely with the United States on this important work and continue our close collaboration through the Canada-US Joint Action Plan on opioids and the North American Drug Dialogue.

N/a

N/a