VANCOUVER -- Federal Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole says he will approach the opioid epidemic as an "urgent health crisis" rather than a criminal scourge, and that he would continue to allow safe injection sites.
At an addiction treatment centre in the Vancouver suburb of New Westminster, B.C., O'Toole said he would invest $325 million over the next three years to create 1,000 residential drug treatment beds and build 50 recovery centres across the country. He also says law enforcement should focus on traffickers, adding he plans to enhance treatment and prevention services in First Nations communities and partner with the provinces to provide free Naloxone kits which reverse overdoses.
Health Canada is currently working with Vancouver on the city's request for exemption from criminal provisions on simple possession of small quantities of drugs. Vancouver has been the epicentre of an opioid crisis that saw British Columbia record 1,176 illicit drug overdose deaths in 2020 -- the highest ever in a single year -- and more than 7,000 deaths since a public health emergency was declared in April 2016.
Clearly never lived close to a safe injection site.
Vote Erin O'Toole ... Secure Canada’s future ...
Safe injection sites plague neighborhoods with crime. First figure out where to put them so least impact to businesses and residents. They should come first and not be forced to be inundated with crime and lawlessness. I agree with them in principle but not at a risk to others.
Just give us a minority non of you are safe with a majority
Great work so far by him
Back to 0 tolerance. the government likes harm reduction because they make tens of millions in supporting addictions instead of treatment to expel it.
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