HESA Committee Report

Dissenting Report (Methamphetamine)

Summary

Having heard the testimony of 34 witnesses over eight meetings, the DRAFT REPORT ON THE IMPACTS OF METHAMPHETAMINE ABUSE IN CANADA represents both the findings and the recommendations of the majority of committee members. 

While the summary of evidence heard is a good representation of the testimony heard from witnesses, the Conservative members of the committee disagree with several of the proposed recommendations, specifically, the proposal to give addicts free drugs to keep them safely addicted, expansion of safe injection sites when it is clear that in spite of implementing many, the overdose deaths continue to escalate in Canada and decriminalization of drugs without the fulsome measures taken in countries like Portugal. As such, there is not unanimous agreement with recommendations 5, 6, 17 and 20.

Recommendation 5: That the Government of Canada, through the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada, establish a harm reduction pilot project initiative focusing on approaches towards providing an uncontaminated supply of pharmaceutical grade methamphetamines, drawing on similar approaches currently available for opiate users.

This recommendation is not a solution to the problem of addiction. Taxpayers support putting support towards helping to get addicts off drugs, and to preventing them from getting on drugs in the first place. Taxpayers do not want to pay to keep addicts safely addicted to drugs. In fact, specific testimony was heard at the Indigenous Healing Centre, where the committee heard testimony from addicts who specifically stated that they don’t need the government to be investing in safe drugs; what they need is investments to help them get into treatment for addictions, and through a recovery program. 

Recommendation 6: That the Government of Canada, through the Public Health Agency of Canada, provide targeted funding to expand access to supervised inhalation sites and drug checking services.

The Liberal government put all their focus on safe injection sites. Despite this, we see increasing numbers of deaths from opioids and methamphetamine abuse. Clearly, other solutions are needed and for this reason, we do not support the government investing more money in this one tool which have proven ineffective. Drug checking services however, we do agree there is increasing need for.

Recommendation 17: That the Government of Canada work with provinces, territories, municipalities and Indigenous communities and law enforcement agencies to decriminalize the simple possession of small quantities of illicit substances.

There are several elements necessary to be put in place before decriminalization. In Portugal, there were 170 recovery facilities for 11 million people, truly universal health care, including mental health supports, and mandatory education in schools and for the public regarding the harms of drugs. The response to drug possession became a mandatory tribunal review with a medical, psychological and legal representative who were given authority to provide sanctions to the individual.

For example, they are authorized to send people caught with possession of drugs for detox and recovery, or to send for therapy to address the root trauma of their addictions, and, in the case of health care workers caught with multiple instances of possession, they could sanction them from working in the health care system.

Canada does not have the recovery capacity available currently. We also do not have enough available and affordable mental health supports, mandatory education regarding harms, or a correctional system that could mimic Portugal’s. It would be unrealistic to assume Canada could achieve the same results as Portugal without implementing all the mandatory elements. For this reason, we support Recommendation 16 and would not consider Recommendation 17 until such a time that these elements are put in place. 

Recommendation 20 seeks to provide recovery for those in prison/federal corrections. This would be a way of getting help for the individuals who are today in the correctional system for their addictions, but without hope of getting off drugs.