OTTAWA — Canada's mental health and addictions minister believes fear and stigma are driving criticism of the government's decision to support prescribing pharmaceuticals to drug users to combat the country's overdose crisis.
Data shows a majority of overdose deaths between January and June 2023 involved fentanyl, an opioid experts warn has become increasingly tainted with even more toxic substances. British Columbia became the first jurisdiction to test out such an approach, with Ottawa also providing funds for pilots in New Brunswick and Ontario. Health Canada reported tablets of the opioid hydromorphone as the most commonly prescribed replacement.
Critics of the approach have seized on the problem, perhaps none more so than federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who has expressed concerns about diverted narcotics ending up in the hands of minors. But she acknowledged the federal government could also do more to inform people about how such programs work.
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