441-00859 (Holidays and observances)

We thank you for your attention to these important issues of addiction and recovery. Our Government will give the motion, and its potential to support Canadians in recovery and seeking recovery, careful consideration when it is called for debate in the House of Commons, as per Parliamentary procedure. In the meantime, the Government of Canada maintains a calendar of health promotion days on the Health Canada website, which features health awareness days, weeks and months. National or international groups or health organizations are welcome to apply to add an event to this calendar by filling out the events calendar form requesting the addition of their day, week, or, month, with a link to their web page about the event. Health promotion days are approved by the Government following a careful review of information to ensure that it is appropriate and accurate and meets established criteria. 

The Government of Canada recognizes that the overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history. It is having devastating impacts on individuals, friends and families, and communities across the country. The Government recognizes that substance use is a health issue, and is committed to a public health approach to address the crisis.

Over the past six years, enormous efforts and unprecedented actions have been taken to address the overdose crisis. The Government of Canada has been working with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other partners, including researchers, advocates and people with lived and living experience, to ensure that people who use drugs can continue to access the treatment, harm reduction and other services they need. Moving forward, under the mandate of the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, the Government remains committed to continuing work with our partners to determine the best ways to support people who use substances, advance solutions to save lives and help reverse this national public health crisis.

People use substances for different reasons, such as for medical purposes, religious or ceremonial purposes, personal enjoyment, or to cope with stress, trauma or pain. Substance use is different for everyone and can be viewed on a spectrum with varying stages of benefits and harms. The Government of Canada is committed to improving the delivery of substance use services and supports so that Canadians are able to receive high quality, culturally appropriate care, by the most appropriate provider at the most appropriate time, including virtually.

This Government understands that a full continuum of life-saving strategies is necessary to meet people where they are and provide them supports along their journey. Treatment is successful when the person understands their addiction and seeks help if re-use occurs. Returning to treatment and healthier behaviours should be considered a success. Recovery from addiction is possible, but looks different for everyone. A person in recovery is going through an individual process to improve their physical, psychological and social health, which can take time. Recovery could include complete abstinence (avoiding drugs or alcohol completely) or medication assisted treatment, such as prescribing methadone or buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder. There are also many health and social services available across Canada, including non-medical therapies, such as counselling, or support from people with lived and living experience.

Canada’s approach to substance use is comprehensive, collaborative, and compassionate, guided by our federal drug strategy – the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy (CDSS). The CDSS takes a public health-focused approach and lays out our framework for evidence-based actions to reduce the harms associated with substance use in Canada. In the context of the worsening overdose crisis, and taking steps to reduce harms and deaths related to substance use, the Government is placing particular focus on:

• ensuring that harm reduction services are available to Canadians who need them;
• working with stakeholders to reduce stigma directed at people who use drugs, which acts as a barrier to accessing critical health and social services and often leads to social isolation and further risk of harms;
• continuing to work with provinces and territories to improve access to treatment options;
• continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized crime; and,
• implementing additional surveillance and research activities that will further build the evidence base and allow us to pursue innovative solutions to this public health crisis.

The overdose crisis is a complex public health issue and we recognize that no single organization or level of government can solve this situation alone. While provinces and territories are generally responsible for the funding and delivery of treatment services, the federal government has a role to play in making sure appropriate treatment options are available. Tangible and significant progress has been made over the last decade in developing and advancing the use of best practices in substance use services, supported by significant federal, provincial and territorial investments. However, many gaps remain to be addressed to ensure Canadians get the mental health and substance use services that they need.

The Government of Canada recognizes the crucial role of community and of peers in the recovery process. Through the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP), the Government of Canada provides contributions funding to other levels of government, community-led and not-for-profit organizations to respond to drug and substance use issues in Canada. This funding supports a wide range of evidence-informed and innovative substance use prevention, harm reduction, and treatment initiatives across Canada at the community, regional, and national levels. Through Budgets 2017-2022, the Government of Canada has committed nearly $350M in funding for projects to help address the overdose crisis and broader substance use.

An example of an innovative approach that is being supported by SUAP is related to the harms caused by alcohol use. SUAP funds Managed Alcohol Programs (MAPs), which offer a harm-reduction approach to people who have severe alcohol use disorder and who may be experiencing homelessness at the same time. MAPs provide small amounts of alcohol to clients at regular intervals throughout the day and are often combined with or offered within housing programs. MAPs can be effective in helping clients reduce their consumption of non-beverage alcohol; clients experience fewer social, health, safety, and legal harms related to alcohol consumption, and are less likely to be admitted to hospital. Evidence demonstrates that MAPs can also promote improved or stabilized mental health and medical adherence.