(Ottawa) Provinces and territories must do more to expand and improve their treatment services for people suffering from addictions and mental health problems before considering making some of these treatments mandatory, the federal Minister of Health said Friday. Mental Health and Addictions, Ya’ara Saks.
Published yesterday at 7:32 p.m.
Alessia Passafiume and Laura Osman The Canadian Press
The minister held a press conference to announce the first call for proposals from municipalities and Indigenous communities to access a share of a $150 million emergency treatment fund to respond to the overdose crisis in Canada.
But she was bombarded with questions about the growing debate over whether certain mental health treatments, including addiction treatment, should be mandatory for certain populations.
Several provinces are considering introducing or expanding mandatory treatment as communities struggle to cope with a nationwide overdose crisis. Nearly 50,000 people in Canada have died from opioid overdoses since 2016.
Concerns have been raised about the proposals by mental health advocates who question whether mandatory treatment is effective and by civil liberties groups who fear for patients’ rights.
Saks would not directly say whether or not her government supported the idea, repeatedly emphasizing that provinces and territories do not yet provide access to the treatment needed to even have this discussion.
She said she hasn’t seen provinces do enough to expand treatment “to respond to the current situation.”
And before we talk about involuntary or voluntary treatment, I would like to see them use and access the strong $200 billion in health care agreements that have been signed across the country to dedicate resources to this.
Ya’ara Saks, Federal Minister of Mental Health and Addictions
Ms. Saks is referring to the new health care funding agreements that Ottawa has signed with the provinces and territories over the past two years, part of which is intended for addiction and mental health services, among other health care priorities. health.
She recalled that health care falls under the jurisdiction of the provinces and that it is up to the provinces “to define the policies they deem appropriate.”
But before they begin discussions about mandatory care, she says they need to make sure adequate treatment services are in place.
“I would encourage British Columbia or any other government to, before considering whether treatment is voluntary or involuntary, first and foremost, ensure that they need the treatment services in place — which ‘They don’t currently have it,’ she said.
“Health care is a right guaranteed by the Charter. They aim to help people in a space where they need dignity and assistance in their most vulnerable moments. This is what we should focus on. »
Poilievre positions himself
On Thursday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he supports mandatory and involuntary drug treatment and psychiatric treatment for children and prisoners who are deemed incapable of making decisions for themselves.
PHOTO SPENCER COLBY, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre
Mr. Poillievre assures that he is still studying how compulsory treatment would work in the case of adults.
His new stance on the issue appears to have solidified after the parents of 13-year-old Brianna MacDonald testified before a parliamentary committee about her mental health issues before her overdose death at an Abbotsford homeless encampment , in British Columbia.
“At this point, the Leader of the Opposition is not talking about politics,” Ms. Saks said Friday. “He reflected on his own perspectives based on a very polarized and evidence-free view of what works across the continuum of care for people struggling with addiction. »
British Columbia announced last month that it would expand involuntary care for people in mental health and addiction crises, and that the province would open secure facilities for people detained because they pose a danger to themselves. themselves or for others.
British Columbia is currently in an election campaign.
The British Columbia chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association has expressed concerns about the plan without better oversight of the mental health system.
In New Brunswick, the Progressive Conservatives promised in the 2023 Speech from the Throne to introduce a bill to force a person suffering from a serious addiction to undergo treatment. The bill was delayed in the spring when the government needed more time to consult on it.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith also asked her mental health minister to develop “compassionate intervention legislation” that would allow involuntary treatment for people who use drugs if they pose a danger to themselves or for others.
