The inflow of opioids from illicit origins is progressively contaminated with lethal poisons. Advocates promoting the safe supply strategy emphasize the imperative of shielding opioid users from the perilous supply.

Poilievre’s Critique and Advocates for Safe Supply

Poilievre has contended that such policies merely perpetuate dependency, although he has not definitively stated whether he would entirely reverse them. He has pledged to litigate against pharmaceutical enterprises manufacturing these drugs and allocate the proceeds towards treatment and addiction support services.

A recent inquiry featured in the Canadian Medical Association¹ Journal scrutinized 46 individuals enrolled in a program dispensing pharmaceutical-grade opioids through a biometric vending mechanism. It concluded that a majority diminished their reliance on illicit substances consequently, thereby mitigating the risk of overdose.

“The imperative is for individuals to endure until they access treatment,” articulated Bennett on Tuesday.

“People are succumbing due to the pernicious drug distribution.”

Check out this video on our Scoop Canada YouTube channel, where Pierre Poilievre shares his thoughts about Trudeau’s drug policy on X. He has claimed that the NDP² and Liberal’s drug policies are useless and baseless.

Tuesday’s parliamentary discussion was incited by recent accounts from British Columbia regarding the potential infiltration of prescribed opioids³ into the illicit market.

“Addicts are appropriating hydromorphone, peddling it to juveniles, and utilizing the proceeds to procure fentanyl, leading to fatal overdoses,” asserted Poilievre on Tuesday.

“Subsequently, adolescents become disenchanted with hydromorphone⁴ and resort to the lethal fentanyl⁵. That is the crux of the matter.”

Concerns Raised in the Canadian Medical Association Journal

Upon inquiry about the basis of his assertions, Poilievre’s office referenced a recent dossier from Nanaimo, B.C., revealing instances of prescription labels removed from opioid containers that might have been subsequently trafficked.

The B.C. Coroners’ Office has consistently stated that there is “no indication that the sanctioned safe supply of prescriptions is contributing to unregulated drug fatalities.”

While acknowledging the potential diversion of drugs acquired through the vending mechanism, the CMAJ study did not delve into this matter extensively.

“Participants reported decreased consumption of illicit substances, diminished overdose risk, financial amelioration, and enhancements in health and well-being,” the study concluded.

The Conservative Party has only recently redirected its political attention towards endorsing addiction treatment.

Under previous leadership, the party’s stance on drug addiction predominantly revolved around stringent law enforcement measures; during the tenure of the last Conservative government, attempts were made to shutter the sole authorized safe consumption site in the nation, although the Supreme Court intervened to maintain its operation.

We started a poll on our Scoop Canada YouTube Channel, seeking our subscribers’ opinions on Pierre Poilievre’s stance on drug addiction. The majority of our subscribers support this. Click here

Nonetheless, under Poilievre and his immediate predecessor, Erin O’Toole, the Conservatives have transitioned towards framing addiction not as a criminal issue but as a health concern, underscoring the necessity for treatment as a resolution.

1. Smart, Katharine. “Critical family physician shortage must be addressed: CMA.” Canadian Medical Association (2022). ↩︎
2. Wawrzynski, James, et al. “Spectrum of mutations in NDP resulting in ocular disease; a systematic review.” Frontiers in Genetics 13 (2022): 884722. ↩︎
3. Kerrigan, Sarah, and Bruce A. Goldberger. “Opioids.” Principles of forensic toxicology (2020): 347-369. ↩︎
4. Spénard, Sarah, et al. “Morphine or hydromorphone: which should be preferred? A systematic review.” Archives of Disease in Childhood 106.10 (2021): 1002-1009. ↩︎
5. Newman, Mackenzie, et al. “Fentanyl overdose: Temporal effects and prognostic factors in SKH1 mice.” Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology (2024). ↩︎

Last Updated on May 2, 2024 by Sanjana