44th Parliament220CertifiedMarch 20, 2024e-4743e-4743 (Justice)KayleeLindbergBobZimmerPrince George—Peace River—Northern RockiesConservativeBCDecember 20, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. (EDT)March 19, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. (EDT)March 20, 2024Petition to the <Addressee type="1" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">House of Commons</Addressee>Whereas:The crime rate in Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies continues to rise and pose a significant threat to public safety and community wellbeing;Since 2015, violent crime in Canada has increased by 39%, gang-related homicides have increased by 108%, repeat offenders are obtaining bail easily, decriminalization of drugs has caused increased concern for public safety, and increasing crime and violence is putting Canadians at risk;Many residents in the cities of Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Prince George and surrounding communities feel unsafe in their own neighbourhoods due to the increase in drive-by shootings and drug-related crime; andRural communities should not have to accept the violent, financial, societal, and economic consequences of the government's lack of action in addressing crime.We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the government of Canada to:1. Repeal soft-on-crime and catch-and-release policies that have directly contributed to the rising rate of crime in Canada;2. End the decriminalization of hard drugs;3. Stop the tax-funded handout of hard drugs; and4. Invest money into treatment and recovery and bring our loved ones home drug-free.Crime and criminalityDecriminalizationDrug use and abusePublic health44th Parliament223Government response tabledMarch 18, 2024441-02041441-02041 (Health)ElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCJanuary 31, 2024March 18, 2024February 8, 2023PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLEDWhereas:
  • The overdose crisis in Canada is a public health emergency, as has already been declared by British Columbia's Provincial Health Officer and several municipalities across Canada;
  • More than 13,900 individuals have died of opioid-related deaths and there have been 17,050 opioid-related poisoning hospitalizations in Canada since 2016;
  • There is disproportionate representation of Indigenous people affected by the overdose crisis; and
  • The Canadian Public Health Association, the Global Commission on Drug Policy, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations, have recommended drug decriminalization.
We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to:
  • Declare a public health emergency due to overdose deaths in Canada;
  • Reframe the overdose crisis in Canada as a health issue rather than a criminal issue;
  • Take a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to the overdose crisis, by addressing issues of addiction, poverty, housing, health care, racial discrimination, and economic inequality and instability;
  • Listen to and act on recommendations made by social workers, front-line workers, nurses, doctors, drug users, and individuals directly involved in the drug-using community; and
  • Decriminalize drugs in Canada.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which is having devastating impacts on individuals, friends and families, and communities across the country. While there are a number of complex factors that contribute to the high rates of overdose that we are seeing today, a major driver is the increasingly toxic and unpredictable illegal drug supply, where fentanyl remains widespread and we have observed the rise or emergence of other substances, including stronger opioids, stimulants, and sedatives. In 2022, approximately four out of every five opioid-related overdose death involved fentanyl. The cost of substance use-related harms is not limited to the loss of lives alone and, more broadly, impacts health, social well-being, and public safety.The Government of Canada takes this crisis very seriously and is committed to working together with all levels of government, Indigenous Peoples and communities, partners from law enforcement, criminal justice, health and social systems, and people with lived and living experience and other key stakeholders, to take urgent action and leverage every available tool to save lives and work towards an end to this national public health crisis.Provinces and territories have a range of tools and authorities to address the ongoing overdose crisis in their respective jurisdictions. This includes the power to declare a public health emergency which allows a provincial or territorial government to access and exercise extraordinary measures in response to a significant increase in opioid-related deaths as was the case for British Columbia in April 2016 and Alberta in May 2017. More recently, in January 2022, Yukon declared a substance use health emergency. In addition to provincial and territorial emergency declarations, some municipalities and Indigenous communities have also declared emergencies in response to rising substance use-related harms and deaths.Invoking the federal Emergencies Act is intended to serve as a tool of last resort to ensure the safety and security of Canadians in cases of temporary, critical national emergencies that cannot be addressed with existing federal, provincial or territorial laws. As such, the Emergencies Act is not an appropriate mechanism to address the ongoing overdose crisis, which requires a longer-term, sustained, and multi-jurisdictional effort to address the complex, interrelated health, social and economic factors driving substance use-related deaths and harms.The Government of Canada has publicly recognized the overdose crisis is a public health crisis. The federal government is committed to continued action using the broad range of tools at its disposal and to take steps to end overdose deaths and substance-use related harms. The Government’s approach to addressing the overdose crisis and substance use-related harms is comprehensive, equitable, collaborative, and compassionate, guided by our renewed federal drug strategy – the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy (CDSS). The renewed CDSS outlines the Government of Canada’s updated plan to address the overdose crisis, and other substance use-related harms in Canada.Through the renewed CDSS, the Government is taking a holistic approach to addressing substance use and related harms, centered on promoting public health and protecting public safety. This whole-of-government initiative includes timely access to a full range of strategies to help people access the prevention, harm reduction, treatment, or recovery services and supports they need, when and where they need them.The renewed CDSS uses an integrated approach that brings together prevention and education, substance use services and supports, evidence, and substance controls. New investments include supporting a wide range of activities, such as: community-based supports; streamlining authorizations for supervised consumption sites (SCS) and drug checking services; vital data collection on substance-related harms and lab-based analysis of the illegal drug supply; an overdose monitoring platform for law enforcement and other first responders; and further action with our partners to disrupt illegal drug production and trafficking and stem the global flow of these devastating substances. By using a wide-range of tools, we have the best opportunity to end this crisis, protect communities and save lives.Since 2017, the federal government has made commitments of more than $1 billion and has taken significant action to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. This includes a Budget 2023 commitment of $359.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $5.7 million ongoing, to support the renewed CDSS, which will continue to guide the government’s work to save lives and protect the health and safety of Canadians by:
  • 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
These investments have made a difference in reducing overdose deaths and harms. For example, since 2017 through the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP), Health Canada has provided over $565 million to support nearly 390 community-based projects focused on innovative treatment, harm reduction, prevention and stigma reduction activities. More than $26 million of this funding was dedicated to expanding Naloxone awareness, training and distribution across Canada. As of May 2023, these projects contributed to more than 1.5M Canadians being trained on how to respond to an overdose, and more than 69,000 nasal naloxone kits being distributed across the country.We also invested $22.8 million in public education through national and targeted advertising, partnerships and experiential marketing on the risks of opioids, overdose awareness, harm reduction and stigma awareness and reduction. In addition, the Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches to build the evidence around innovative care practices, including services that prescribe pharmaceutical-grade medications as an alternative to the highly toxic illegal drug supply for people at high risk of overdose – a practice often referred to as safer supply or prescribed alternatives. As of February 2024, Health Canada has supported 31 prescribed alternatives pilot projects across Canada through SUAP, representing total funding commitments of over $102 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, as well as research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders.These investments have also improved access to treatment. For example, provinces and territories have used federal investments provided through Budget 2018 for the Emergency Treatment Fund to expand existing treatment approaches, such as services to support youth with substance use disorder, withdrawal management services appropriate for people who use methamphetamine, Rapid Access Addictions Medicine clinics, access to opioid dependence treatments, and culturally-appropriate care for Indigenous communities. Funds have also been used to implement innovative approaches to treatment, including ‘wrap-around’ care and the development of telehealth infrastructure to connect clients in remote and rural settings.In addition to these investments, the Government of Canada has supported the expansion of supervised consumption services across Canada and also issued exemptions that allow provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites (UPHNS)  within existing shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. There are currently 47 SCS offering services in Canada. From October 2017 to September 2023, they have received over 4.4 million visits, responded to over 52,000 overdoses, and made over 411,000 referrals to health and social services. Nobody has died of an overdose in these 47 sites.Federal funds are enabling new drug checking technologies to be used at SCS and other associated services to provide people who use drugs and health workers with information on the contents of toxic street drugs, including whether they contain deadly fentanyl, benzodiazepines or other toxic substances. This gives people who use drugs the opportunity to make informed decisions that may reduce their risk of overdose. As of February 2024, of the 39  federally authorized SCS, 30 are authorized to conduct drug checking in Canada. In addition, there are 10 federally authorized stand-alone drug checking services. In addition, the Government of Canada held a Drug Checking Technology Challenge (October 2018 to July 2021), that provided a total of $1,724,500 million to nine participants to catalyze innovation in drug checking technologies. Through the renewed CDSS, we will streamline authorizations for SCS, UPHNS and drug checking services with clear public health and public safety requirements for organizations seeking to provide these evidence-based life saving services to Canadians.We have also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to medications used in drug treatment programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption authorized to a group of people, such as pharmacists, to conduct specific activities with controlled substances) to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving injectable diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder, as well as facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of methadone and diacetylmorphine; and,
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
We will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to respond to this crisis and to keep communities safe. The government works closely with domestic and international partners to address the toxic illegal drug supply that is driving overdose harms and deaths. We continue to equip border agents with the tools necessary to intercept controlled substances. For example, we have made it harder to access chemicals used to make fentanyl by scheduling them under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) and have also amended legislation to allow border officers to open mail of any weight, in order to stop drugs like fentanyl and carfentanil from entering Canada illegally through the mail system. The government also works with private sector partners to address money laundering of the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking in an effort to dismantle the organized crime groups involved in the supply of these toxic illegal drugs.The Government of Canada continues to lead efforts to facilitate opportunities for collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, researchers, people with lived and living experience, community-based organizations, and other partners and stakeholders, to reduce the harms associated with substance use and support efforts to provide a full range of culturally appropriate, evidence-based, and trauma-informed health and social services and supports to meet the diverse needs of people who use drugs.The Government of Canada is also working closely with provinces and territories to change the way the healthcare system delivers mental health and substance use services to Canadians. On February 7, 2023, the Government of Canada announced it will increase health funding to provinces and territories by nearly $200 billion over 10 years, in order to improve Canada’s health care system. This investment includes $25 billion for shared health priorities, including increasing access to mental health and substance use services and supports. These commitments are in addition to existing bilateral agreements with provinces and territories for health priorities, including mental health and substance use, that were put in place in 2017. These investments will set the foundation for long-term, integrated and sustained health care system change that builds on existing, targeted actions to address mental health and substance use challenges.We have also established federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the FPT Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the FPT Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use, to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners. In addition, discussions are held with provinces and territories at the Deputy Minister and Ministerial level through meetings of the Conference of Deputy Ministers of Health and the Federal, Provincial, Territorial Health Minister’s Meetings.To inform the federal approach, the government also regularly consults with stakeholders and has convened several expert advisory groups, including people directly impacted by substance use. Health Canada established the People with Lived and Living Experience Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy. We recognize that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. We continue to work closely across federal departments so that federal actions on mental health and addictions, homelessness and housing, poverty, and reconciliation are coordinated and synergistic. We are also committed to engaging collaboratively with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and other stakeholders to advance whole-of-society approaches to these issues.With respect to prescribed alternatives, a number of researchers in academic institutions across Canada are studying this emerging approach, contributing to the evidence base that can inform decision-making at local, provincial and federal levels. Prescribed alternatives builds on the evidence from medication-assisted approaches to the treatment of substance use disorder, with prescribed alternatives services having a number of unique goals and approaches that need to be assessed and evaluated on their own merits.The evidence base around prescribed alternatives is still developing, but is growing. Existing studies and evaluations of prescribed alternatives programs are showing some promising early outcomes, including:
  • reduced overdose-related mortality, emergency department visits and hospitalizations; and,
  • client reports of reductions in overdoses and illegal drug use, reduced engagement in criminalized activities, access to health and social services, improved trust in primary care providers among clients who face barriers to care, and other quality of life improvements.
Health Canada is supporting several studies of prescribed alternatives. This includes a preliminary assessment of prescribed alternatives pilot projects in Ontario, British Columbia and New Brunswick. The federal government, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), is also supporting a study being conducted by a research team from the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse. This four-year evaluation research project focuses on program implementation and the short-term health outcomes of 11 of the government funded prescribed alternatives pilot projects. The final results of this study are expected in 2025. Additionally, CIHR has awarded $2 million to the University of Victoria to support a four-year study evaluating the prescribed alternatives initiatives in British Columbia, in partnership with Indigenous leaders, Elders and system partners. We will continue to monitor outcomes of prescribed alternatives, so that the government’s response to the overdose crisis is evidence-based and focused on saving lives.The government is committed to working to divert people who use drugs away from the criminal justice system and toward supportive and trusted relationships in health services and social supports, when needed. For example, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from personal drug possession charges as well as from breach of some conditions related to personal possession, for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose. Furthermore, Bill C-5, which received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022, made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the CDSA. Among other measures, the amendments require police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures – including diverting individuals to treatment programs – instead of laying a criminal charge or prosecuting individuals for personal drug possession. These amendments also repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the CDSA to reflect the Government’s public-health focused approach to substance use. These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, directing prosecutors to consider alternatives to prosecution for the personal possession of drugs, except in the most serious cases where public safety concerns arise.In addition, in May 2022, at the request of the province of British Columbia, a time-limited exemption was granted under the CDSA so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province are not subject to criminal charges for the personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, individuals can be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they can also receive assistance to connect with those services. This exemption, which is in effect from January 31, 2023, to January 31, 2026, is part of a much broader strategy British Columbia and this Government are taking to help people who use drugs access supports and services, rather than face criminal charges. This time-limited exemption is being supported by rigorous monitoring and a third-party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes and inform implementation.Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The items above are some examples of concrete actions taken by the federal government to address the overdose crisis. Please visit the following website for a comprehensive list of all the actions taken to date.The Government of Canada will continue working with our partners and stakeholders to implement the renewed CDSS and will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and advancing work on the development of standards for mental health and substance use health services. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abuseOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament207Open for signatureJanuary 24, 2024e-4734e-4734 (Health)SameerMurjiStephenEllisCumberland—ColchesterConservativeNSJanuary 24, 2024, at 3:58 p.m. (EDT)April 23, 2024, at 3:58 p.m. (EDT)Petition to the <Addressee type="4" affiliationId="300010" mp-riding-display="1">Minister of Health</Addressee>Whereas:On July 18, 2023, under the Natural Health Product Regulations, Health Canada gave approval to a sister company of Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd. for flavoured nicotine pouches to be sold;In October 2023 Imperial Tobacco began selling nicotine pouches in Canada, using flavours Berry Frost, Chill Mint and Tropic Breeze;It is completely legal for retailers to sell these nicotine pouches to children of any age;Imperial Tobacco is promoting these nicotine pouches using lifestyle advertising, and in places where youth are exposed such as convenience stores, Tik Tok, and other social media platforms;The increase in exposure to nicotine-based products has shown the susceptibility of youth to grow addicted to current nicotine products and new ones such as nicotine pouches which are currently trending in Canada;These are oral products that do not release visible smoke like cigarettes and vapes, making them undetectable by any smoke sensors and harder for parents and teachers to catch. This will entice youths to use these more frequently compared to cigarettes and vapes; andNicotine is a highly addictive drug.We, the undersigned, residents of Canada, call upon the Minister of Health to protect youth by immediately taking action on nicotine pouches, by requiring that nicotine pouches either be sold on a prescription-only basis or that their sale be temporarily suspended until proper regulations are in place; and that no other new nicotine products be approved by Health Canada, except on a prescription-only basis, until adequate regulations are in place.NicotinePublic healthYoung people44th Parliament223Government response tabledDecember 12, 2023441-01866441-01866 (Health)GordJohnsCourtenay—AlberniNDPBCNovember 2, 2023December 12, 2023May 18, 2023PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLEDWe, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled to the following:Whereas:Over 29,000 Canadians have died due to apparent opioid toxicity between January 2016 and December 2021. Those who have died as a result of the preventable drug toxicity crisis were loved and valued citizens of this country: our children, siblings, spouses, parents, family members, clients, friends; andCanada's current drug policies have proven to be ineffective in the prevention of substance use and exacerbate substance use harms and risks. The "war on drugs" has resulted in widespread stigma towards those who use controlled substances. The "war on drugs" has allowed organized crime to be the sole provider of most controlled substances. Problematic substance use is a health issue and that cannot be resolved through criminalizing personal possession and consumption. Decriminalization of personal possession is associated with significantly reducing drug toxicity deaths in the countries that have adopted progressive drug policy reforms.Therefore, we, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:1. Reform drug policy to decriminalize simple possession of drugs listed in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act;2. Provide a path for expungement of conviction records for those convicted of simple possession; and3. With urgency, implement a health-based National Strategy for providing access to a regulated safer supply of drugs and expand trauma-informed treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services, and public education and awareness campaigns throughout Canada.
Response by the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental AffairsSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): JENNIFER O’CONNELL, M.P.The Government continues to deliver on its promise to work toward removing the stigma associated with convictions for simple possession of drugs.Expungement is intended for cases where the criminalization of an activity constitutes a historical injustice because, among other things, were it to occur today, it would be inconsistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Expungement was not intended to address changing societal norms, such as the legalization of cannabis or health and social issues such as the ongoing opioid crisis.However, originally introduced in Parliament on December 7, 2021, Bill C-5, an Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), was amended in September 2022 to address concerns about the ongoing stigma associated with a record of convictions for simple possession of drugs. It now specifies that past convictions under section 4(1) of the CDSA for possession of controlled drugs must be kept separate and apart from other criminal convictions within two years of the Bill’s coming into force. For convictions after the coming into force, the record of conviction must be kept separate and apart from other criminal convictions two years following sentence completion. This amendment is consistent with the underlying objective of the Bill to address the negative consequences associated with simple possession. The amendment acknowledges the calls from public health organizations and those who work with individuals with addictions. It helps address barriers to successful reintegration into society and also helps address a contributing cause of the ongoing opioid crisis, namely the stigmatization of people who use drugs. Bill C-5 received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022.Criminal records have a lasting impact on the ability of rehabilitated individuals to successfully reintegrate into society after overcoming personal challenges in their lives. Treating simple possession of drugs as a health and social issue means eliminating the stigma associated with convictions for simple possession.Public Safety Canada continues to work with other departments, including Health Canada and the Department of Justice, to support the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy: Overview - Canada.ca, and address the national drug crisis as part of its mandate to keep cities and communities safe.
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Parliamentary Secretary James Maloney
  1. Bill C-5, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, received Royal Assent and came into force on November 17, 2022. The Bill aims to ensure that responses to criminal offences are fair and effective, while ensuring that public safety is maintained. The amendments to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) reinforce the Government’s commitment to address the ongoing opioid crisis by providing space to treat substance use as a health issue, rather than as a criminal one. The law now requires police and prosecutors to consider options such as issuing a warning, or divert people to treatment programs or other supportive services instead of proceeding with charges or prosecuting for simple drug possession, and enacts for the first time in the CDSA a declaration of principles to guide them in exercising discretion.
  2. Bill C-5 further addresses the stigma associated with having a criminal record by: (1) limiting the kind of information that may be kept in the police record of warning or referrals and the use that can be made of such records, as well as to whom these records may be disclosed; and, (2) providing that past and future records of convictions for this offence be kept separate and apart from other records of convictions after a certain period of time.
  3. The 2018 Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act provides that the Governor in Council may list an offence as eligible for expungement if the activity no longer constitutes an offence, and the criminalization of the activity was a historical injustice. Bill C-5 did not repeal the offence of simple drug possession.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Darren FisherThe overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which is having devastating impacts on individuals, friends and families, and communities across the country. While there are a number of complex factors that contribute to the high rates of overdose that we are seeing today, a major driver is the increasingly toxic and unpredictable illegal drug supply, where fentanyl remains widespread and we have observed the rise or emergence of other substances, including stronger opioids, stimulants, and sedatives. In 2022, approximately four out of every five opioid-related overdose death involved fentanyl. The cost of substance use-related harms is not limited to the loss of lives alone and, more broadly, impacts health, social well-being, and public safety. The Government of Canada takes this crisis very seriously and is committed to working together with all levels of government, Indigenous Peoples and communities, partners from law enforcement, criminal justice, health and social systems, and people with lived and living experience and other key stakeholders, to take urgent action and leverage every available tool to save lives and work towards an end to this national public health crisis.Our government is committed to continued action using the broad range of powers at its disposal and to take steps to end overdose deaths and substance-use related harms. Canada’s approach to addressing the overdose crisis and substance use-related harms is comprehensive, equitable, collaborative, and compassionate, guided by our renewed federal drug strategy – the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy (CDSS). The renewed CDSS outlines the Government of Canada’s updated plan to address the overdose crisis, and other substance use-related harms in Canada.Through the renewed CDSS, Canada is taking a holistic approach to addressing substance use and related harms, centered on promoting public health and protecting public safety. This whole-of-government initiative includes timely access to a full range of strategies to help people access the prevention, harm reduction, treatment, or recovery services and supports they need, when and where they need them.The renewed CDSS uses an integrated approach that brings together prevention and education, substance use services and supports, evidence, and substance controls. New investments include supporting a wide range of activities, such as: community-based supports; streamlining authorizations for supervised consumption sites and drug checking services;   vital data collection on substance-related harms and lab-based analysis of the illegal drug supply; an overdose monitoring platform for law enforcement and other first responders; and further action with our partners to disrupt illegal drug production and trafficking and stem the global flow of these devastating substances. By using a wide-range of tools, we have the best opportunity to end this crisis, protect communities and save lives.Since 2017, the federal government has made commitments of more than $1 billion and has taken significant action to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. This includes a Budget 2023 commitment of $359.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $5.7 million ongoing, to support the renewed CDSS, which will continue to guide the government’s work to save lives and protect the health and safety of Canadians by:
  • 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
These investments have made a difference in reducing overdose deaths and harms. For example, since 2017 through the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP), Health Canada has provided over $500 million to support more than 380 community-based projects focused on innovative treatment, harm reduction, prevention and stigma reduction activities. More than $26 million of this funding was dedicated to expanding Naloxone awareness, training and distribution across Canada. As of May 2023, these projects contributed to more than 1.5M Canadians being trained on how to respond to an overdose, and more than 69,000 nasal naloxone kits being distributed across the country.We also invested $22.8 million in public education through national and targeted advertising, partnerships and experiential marketing on the risks of opioids, overdose awareness, harm reduction and stigma awareness and reduction. In addition, the Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches to build the evidence around innovative care practices, including services that prescribe pharmaceutical-grade medications as an alternative to the highly toxic illegal drug supply for people at high risk of overdose – a practice often referred to as safer supply. As of November 2023, Health Canada has supported 31 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through SUAP, representing total funding commitments of over $102 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, as well as research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders.These investments have also improved access to treatment. For example, provinces and territories have used federal investments provided through Budget 2018 for the Emergency Treatment Fund to expand existing treatment approaches, such as services to support youth with substance use disorder, withdrawal management services appropriate for people who use methamphetamine, Rapid Access Addictions Medicine clinics, access to opioid dependence treatments, and culturally-appropriate care for Indigenous communities. Funds have also been used to implement innovative approaches to treatment, including ‘wrap-around’ care and the development of telehealth infrastructure to connect clients in remote and rural settings.In addition to these investments, the Government of Canada has supported the expansion of supervised consumption services (SCS) across Canada and also proactively issued exemptions that allow provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Since 2016, the number of SCS has grown from one to 40. From October 2017 to July 2023, they have received over 4.3 million visits, responded to over 51,000 overdoses, and made over 264,000 referrals to health and social services [as of October 25, 2023].Federal funds are enabling new checking technologies to be used at SCS and other associated services to provide people who use drugs and health workers with information on the contents of toxic street drugs, including whether they contain deadly fentanyl, benzodiazepines or other toxic substances. This gives people who use drugs the opportunity to make informed decisions that may reduce their risk of overdose. As of November 2023, there are 30 federally authorized SCS that are authorized to conduct drug checking in Canada, and 5 federally authorized sites that offer stand-alone drug checking services. In addition, the Government of Canada held a Drug Checking Technology Challenge (October 2018 to July 2021), that provided a total of $1,724,500 million to nine participants to catalyze innovation in drug checking technologies. Through the renewed CDSS, we will streamline authorizations for SCS, urgent public health need sites and drug checking services with clear public health and public safety requirements for organizations seeking to provide these evidence-based life saving services to Canadians.We have also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to medications used in drug treatment programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption authorized to a group of people, such as pharmacists, to conduct specific activities with controlled substances) to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving injectable diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder, as well as facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of methadone and diacetylmorphine; and,
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
We will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to respond to this crisis and to keep communities safe. Our government works closely with domestic and international partners to address the toxic illegal drug supply that is driving overdose harms and deaths. We continue to equip border agents with the tools necessary to intercept controlled substances. For example, we have made it harder to access chemicals used to make fentanyl by scheduling them under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) and have also amended legislation to allow border officers to open mail of any weight, in order to stop drugs like fentanyl and carfentanil from entering Canada illegally through the mail system. Our government also works with private sector partners to address money laundering of the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking in an effort to dismantle the organized crime groups involved in the supply of these toxic illegal drugs.The Government of Canada continues to lead efforts to facilitate opportunities for collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, researchers, people with lived and living experience, community-based organizations, and other partners and stakeholders, to reduce the harms associated with substance use and support efforts to provide a full range of culturally appropriate, evidence-based, and trauma-informed health and social services and supports to meet the diverse needs of people who use drugs.The Government of Canada is also working closely with provinces and territories to change the way our healthcare system delivers mental health and substance use services to Canadians. On February 7, 2023, the Government of Canada announced it will increase health funding to provinces and territories by nearly $200 billion over 10 years, in order to improve Canada’s health care system. This investment includes $25 billion for shared health priorities, including increasing access to mental health and substance use services and supports. These commitments are in addition to existing bilateral agreements with provinces and territories for health priorities, including mental health and substance use, that were put in place in 2017. These investments will set the foundation for long-term, integrated and sustained health care system change that builds on existing, targeted actions to address mental health and substance use challenges.We have also established federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the FPT Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the FPT Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use, to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners. In addition, discussions are held with provinces and territories at the Deputy Minister and Ministerial level through meetings of the Conference of Deputy Ministers of Health and the Federal, Provincial, Territorial Health Minister’s Meetings.To inform the federal approach, our government also regularly consults with stakeholders and has convened several expert advisory groups, including people directly impacted by substance use. Health Canada established the People with Lived and Living Experience Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy. We recognize that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. We continue to work closely across federal departments so that federal actions on mental health and addictions, homelessness and housing, poverty, and reconciliation are coordinated and synergistic. We are also committed to engaging collaboratively with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and other stakeholders to advance whole-of-society approaches to these issues.With respect to safer supply, a number of researchers in academic institutions across Canada are studying this emerging approach, contributing to the evidence base that can inform decision-making at local, provincial and federal levels. Safer supply builds on the evidence from medication-assisted approaches to the treatment of substance use disorder, with safer supply services having a number of unique goals and approaches that need to be assessed and evaluated on their own merits.The evidence base around safer supply is still developing, but is growing. Existing studies and evaluations of safer supply programs are showing some promising early outcomes, including:
  • reduced emergency department visits and hospitalizations; and,
  • client reports of reductions in overdoses and illegal drug use, reduced engagement in criminalized activities, access to health and social services, improved trust in primary care providers among clients who face barriers to care, and other quality of life improvements.
Health Canada is supporting several studies of safer supply. This includes a preliminary assessment of safer supply pilot projects in Ontario, British Columbia and New Brunswick. The federal government, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), is also supporting a study being conducted by a research team from the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse. This four-year evaluation research project focuses on program implementation and the short-term health outcomes of 11 of the government funded safer supply pilot projects. The final results of this study are expected in 2025. Additionally, CIHR has awarded $2 million to the University of Victoria to support a four-year study evaluating the safer supply initiatives in British Columbia, in partnership with Indigenous leaders, Elders and system partners. We will continue to monitor outcomes of safer supply, so that our response to the overdose crisis is evidence-based and focused on saving lives. Our government is committed to working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and toward supportive and trusted relationships in health services and social supports, when needed. For example, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose. Furthermore, Bill C-5, which received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022, made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the CDSA. Among other measures, the amendments require police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures – including diverting individuals to treatment programs – instead of laying a criminal charge or prosecuting individuals for personal drug possession. These amendments also repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the CDSA to reflect the Government’s public-health focused approach to substance use. These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, directing prosecutors to consider alternatives to prosecution for the personal possession of drugs, except in the most serious cases where public safety concerns arise.In addition, in May 2022, at the request of the province of British Columbia, a time-limited exemption was granted under the CDSA so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province are not subject to criminal charges for the personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, where appropriate, individuals may be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they can also receive assistance to connect with those services. This exemption, which is in effect from January 31, 2023, to January 31, 2026, is part of a much broader strategy British Columbia and this Government are taking to help people who use drugs access supports and services, rather than face criminal charges. This time-limited exemption is being supported by rigorous monitoring and a third-party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes and inform implementation.Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The items above are some examples of concrete actions taken by the federal government to address the overdose crisis. Please visit the following website for a comprehensive list of all the actions taken to date.The Government of Canada will continue working with our partners and stakeholders to implement the renewed CDSS and will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and advancing work on the development of standards for mental health and substance use health services. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abusePublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledDecember 4, 2023e-4292e-4292 (Health)EthanEdstromLisa MarieBarronNanaimo—LadysmithNDPBCMarch 16, 2023, at 10:27 a.m. (EDT)July 14, 2023, at 10:27 a.m. (EDT)October 20, 2023December 4, 2023July 14, 2023Petition to the <Addressee type="3" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">Government of Canada</Addressee>Whereas:Between July 2016 and January 2021, opioid overdoses accounted for over 24,626 deaths, with 90% of these deaths occurring from the use of non-pharmaceutical opioids;In the two weeks post-release, an incarcerated individual’s risk for overdose is 56x higher than that of the general population;Lowest-income neighbourhoods exhibited more opioid-related deaths, hospital admissions, emergency department visits, and neonatal abstinence syndrome. The rates of opioid-related harms in the lowest income quintile were at least double that of the highest income quintile within all of these categories;There is up to 5-fold greater opioid-related hospitalizations among Indigenous people compared to non-Indigenous people; andFederal, provincial, and municipal leadership across Canada have called for urgent action, including drug policy reform and increased funding for wraparound supports.We, the undersigned, residents and citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Refine the national approach to treating substance use disorder to emphasize evidence-based harm reduction strategies like safe consumption sites, safer supply, and drug checking services;2. Provide additional conditional funding to provinces for the implementation and expansion of these programs in order to facilitate access; and3. Incorporate decriminalization of simple possession of substances in the national overdose strategy in order to allow substance use disorder to be treated as a medical and social issue rather than a criminal one.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Darren FisherThe toxic drug and overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which is having devastating impacts on individuals, friends and families, and communities across the country. While there are a number of complex factors that contribute to the high rates of overdoses that we are seeing today, a major driver is the increasingly toxic and unpredictable illegal drug supply, where fentanyl remains widespread and we have observed the rise or emergence of other substances, including stronger opioids, stimulants, and sedatives. In 2022, approximately four out of every five deaths involved fentanyl. The cost of substance use-related harms is not limited to the loss of lives alone and, more broadly, impacts health, social well-being, and public safety.The Government of Canada takes this crisis very seriously and is committed to working together with all orders of government, Indigenous Peoples and communities, partners from law enforcement, criminal justice, health and social systems, and people with lived and living experience and other key stakeholders, to take urgent action and leverage every available tool to save lives and work towards an end to this national public health crisis.Provinces and territories have a range of tools and authorities to address the ongoing overdose crisis in their respective jurisdictions. This includes the power to declare a public health emergency which allows a provincial or territorial government to access and exercise extraordinary powers in response to a significant increase in opioid-related deaths as was the case for British Columbia in April 2016 and Alberta in May 2017. More recently, Yukon declared a substance use health emergency in January 2022. In addition to provincial and territorial emergency declarations, some Indigenous communities have also declared emergencies in response to rising substance use-related harms and deaths.The Government of Canada has publicly recognized the overdose crisis is a public health crisis. Canada is committed to continued action using the broad range of powers at its disposal and to take steps to end overdose deaths and substance-use related harms. Canada’s approach to addressing the overdose crisis and substance use-related harms 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 and keep our communities safe. Recognizing the need for comprehensive approaches to save lives, our government supports a full range of integrated, evidence-based services and supports, including improving access to treatment and harm reduction; increasing awareness, prevention and stigma reduction activities; further building the evidence base; and strengthening enforcement to address illegal drug production and trafficking.Since 2017, the federal government has made commitments of more than $1 billion and has taken significant action to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. This includes a Budget 2023 commitment of $359.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $5.7 million ongoing, to support a renewed CDSS which will continue to guide the government's work to save lives and protect the health and safety of Canadians by :
  • 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
These investments have made a difference in reducing overdose deaths and harms. For example, since 2017, through the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP), Health Canada has provided over $500 million to support more than 380 community-based projects focused on innovative treatment, harm reduction, prevention and stigma reduction activities. More than $26 million of this funding was dedicated to expanding Naloxone awareness, training and distribution across Canada. We also invested $22.8 million in public education through national and targeted advertising, partnerships and experiential marketing on the risks of opioids, overdose awareness, harm reduction and stigma awareness and reduction. In addition, the Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the toxic illegal drug supply – a practice often referred to as safer supply. As of June 2023, Health Canada has supported 31 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through SUAP representing total funding commitments of over $100 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders.These investments have also improved access to treatment. For example, provinces and territories have used federal investments provided through Budget 2018 for the Emergency Treatment Fund to expand existing treatment approaches such as services to support youth with substance use disorder, withdrawal management services appropriate for people who use methamphetamine, Rapid Access Addictions Medicine clinics, and access to opioid dependence treatments, and culturally-appropriate care for Indigenous communities. Funds have also been used to implement innovative approaches to treatment, including ‘wrap-around’ care and the development of telehealth infrastructure to connect clients in remote and rural settings.In addition to these investments, the Government of Canada has supported the expansion of supervised consumption services (SCS) across Canada and also proactively issued exemptions that allow provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved SCS has grown from one to 40. Since 2017, they have received over 4.3 million visits, responded to almost 50,000 overdoses, and made 257,000 referrals to health and social services [as of October 2023].Federal funds are enabling new drug checking technologies to be used at SCS and other associated services to provide people who use drugs and health workers with information on the contents of toxic street drugs, including whether they contain deadly fentanyl, benzodiazepines or other toxic substances. This gives people who use drugs the opportunity to make informed decisions that may reduce their risk of overdose. As of November 2023, there are 30 federally authorized SCS that are authorized to conduct drug checking in Canada, and 5 federally authorized sites that offer stand-alone drug checking services. In addition, the Government of Canada held a Drug Checking Technology Challenge (October 2018 to July 2021), that provided a total of $1,724,500 million to nine participants to catalyze innovation in drug checking technologies. Through the renewed CDSS, we will streamline authorizations for SCS, urgent public health need sites and drug checking services with clear public health and public safety requirements for organizations seeking to provide these evidence-based life saving services to Canadians.We have also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to medications used in drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption authorized to a group of people, such as pharmacists, to conduct specific activities with controlled substances) to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving injectable diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder; as well facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of methadone and diacetylmorphine; and,  
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
We will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to respond to this crisis and to keep communities safe. Our government works closely with domestic and international partners to address the toxic illegal drug supply that is driving substance use harms and overdose deaths. We continue to equip border agents with the tools necessary to intercept controlled substances. For example, we have made it harder to access chemicals used to make fentanyl by scheduling them under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) and have also amended legislation to allow border officers to open mail of any weight, in order to stop drugs like fentanyl and carfentanil from entering Canada illegally through the mail system. Our government also works with private sector partners to address money laundering of the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking in an effort to dismantle the organized crime groups involved in the supply of these toxic illegal drugs.With respect to the call for immediate collaboration with provinces and territories, the Government of Canada continues to lead efforts to facilitate opportunities for collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, researchers, people with lived and living experience, community-based organizations, and other partners and stakeholders to reduce the harms associated with substance use and support efforts to provide a full range of culturally appropriate, evidence-based, and trauma-informed health and social services and supports to meet the diverse needs of people who use drugs.On February 7, 2023, the Government of Canada announced it will increase health funding to provinces and territories by nearly $200 billion over 10 years, in order to improve Canada’s health care system. This investment includes $25 billion for shared health priorities, including increasing access to mental health and substance use services and supports. These commitments are in addition to existing bilateral agreements with provinces and territories for health priorities, including mental health and substance use, that were put in place in 2017. These investments will set the foundation for long-term, integrated and sustained health care system change that builds on existing, targeted actions to address mental health and substance use challenges.We have also established federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the FPT Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the FPT Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners. In addition, discussions are held with provinces and territories at the Deputy Minister and Ministerial level through meetings of the Conference of Deputy Ministers of Health and the Federal, Provincial, Territorial Health Minister’s Meetings.To inform the federal approach, our government also regularly consults with stakeholders and has convened several expert advisory groups, including people directly impacted by substance use. Health Canada established the People with Lived and Living Experience Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy. We recognize that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. We continue to work closely across federal departments so that federal actions on mental health and addictions, homelessness and housing, poverty, and reconciliation are coordinated and synergistic. We are also committed to engaging collaboratively with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and other stakeholders to advance whole-of-society approaches to these issues.Our government is committed to working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and toward supportive and trusted relationships in health services and social supports, when needed. For example, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose. Furthermore, Bill C-5, which received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022, made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Among other measures, the amendments encourage police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures – including diverting individuals to treatment programs – instead of laying a criminal charge or prosecuting individuals for personal drug possession. These amendments also repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the CDSA to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use. These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada directing prosecutors that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.In addition, in May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia, a time-limited exemption was granted under the CDSA so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for the personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, individuals will be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they can also receive assistance to connect with those services. This exemption, which is in effect from January 31, 2023, to January 31, 2026, is part of a much broader strategy British Columbia and this Government are taking to help people who use drugs access supports and services, rather than face criminal charges. This time-limited exemption is being supported by rigorous monitoring and a third-party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes and inform implementation.Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The items above are some examples of concrete actions taken by the federal government to address the overdose crisis, please visit the following website for a comprehensive list of all the actions taken to date.The Government of Canada remains committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to this tragic and complex public health crisis to help reduce harms and save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the toxic drug and overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abusePublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledNovember 20, 2023441-01714441-01714 (Health)MikeMorriceKitchener CentreGreen PartyONOctober 3, 2023November 20, 2023September 15, 2023PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLEDWhereas:
  • The overdose crisis in Canada is a public health emergency;
  • More than 26,690 individuals have died of opioid-related deaths and there have been 29,228 opioid-related poisoning hospitalizations in Canada since 2016;
  • There is disproportionate representation of Indigenous people affected by the poisoning crisis; and
  • The Canadian Public Health Association, the Global Commission on Drug Policy, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations, have recommended drug decriminalization.
We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to:
  • Declare a public health emergency due to overdose deaths in Canada;
  • Reframe the overdose crisis in Canada as a health issue rather than a criminal issue;
  • Take a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to the overdose crisis, by addressing issues of addiction, poverty, housing, health care, systemic racism, and economic inequality and instability;
  • Listen to and act on recommendations made by social workers, front-line workers, nurses, doctors, drug users, and individuals directly involved in the drug-using community; and
  • Decriminalize drugs in Canada.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Darren FisherThe toxic drug and overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which is having devastating impacts on individuals, friends and families, and communities across the country. While there are a number of complex factors that contribute to the high rates of overdoses that we are seeing today, four out of every five deaths are caused by opioids that come from the illegal drug supply which has become increasingly more toxic and unpredictable. The cost of substance use-related harms is not limited to the loss of lives alone and, more broadly, impacts health, social well-being, and public safety.The Government of Canada takes this crisis very seriously and is committed to working together with all orders of government, Indigenous Peoples and communities, partners from law enforcement, criminal justice, health and social systems, and people with lived and living experience and other key stakeholders, to take urgent action and leverage every available tool to save lives and work towards an end to this national public health crisis.Provinces and territories have a range of tools and authorities to address the ongoing overdose crisis in their respective jurisdictions. This includes the power to declare a public health emergency which allows a provincial or territorial government to access and exercise extraordinary powers in response to a significant increase in opioid-related deaths as was the case for British Columbia in April 2016 and Alberta in May 2017. More recently, Yukon declared a substance use health emergency in January 2022. In addition to provincial and territorial emergency declarations, some Indigenous communities have also declared emergencies in response to rising substance use-related harms and deaths.Invoking the federal Emergencies Act is intended to serve as a tool of last resort to ensure the safety and security of Canadians in cases of temporary, critical national emergencies that cannot be addressed with existing federal, provincial or territorial laws. As such, the Emergencies Act is not an appropriate mechanism to address the ongoing overdose crisis, which requires a longer-term, sustained, and multi-jurisdictional effort to address the complex, interrelated health, social and economic factors driving substance use-related deaths and harms.The Government of Canada has publicly recognized the overdose crisis is a public health crisis. Canada is committed to continued action using the broad range of powers at its disposal and to take steps to end overdose deaths and substance-use related harms. Canada’s approach to addressing the overdose crisis and substance use-related harms 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 and keep our communities safe. Recognizing the need for comprehensive approaches to save lives, our government supports a full range of integrated, evidence-based services and supports, including improving access to treatment and harm reduction; increasing awareness, prevention and stigma reduction activities; further building the evidence base; and strengthening enforcement to address illegal drug production and trafficking.Since 2017, the federal government has made commitments of more than $1 billion and has taken significant action to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. This includes a Budget 2023 commitment of $359.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $5.7 million ongoing, to support a renewed CDSS which will continue to guide the government's work to save lives and protect the health and safety of Canadians by :
  • 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
These investments have made a difference in reducing overdose deaths and harms. For example, through the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP), Health Canada has provided over $500 million to support more than 380 community-based projects focused on innovative treatment, harm reduction, prevention and stigma reduction activities. More than $26 million of this funding was dedicated to expanding Naloxone awareness, training and distribution across Canada. We also  invested $22.8 million in public education through national and targeted advertising, partnerships and experiential marketing on the risks of opioids, overdose awareness, harm reduction and stigma awareness and reduction. In addition, the Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the toxic illegal drug supply – a practice often referred to as safer supply. As of June 2023, Health Canada has supported 31 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through SUAP representing total funding commitments of over $100 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders.These investments have also improved access to treatment. For example, provinces and territories have used federal investments provided through Budget 2018 for the Emergency Treatment Fund to expand existing treatment approaches such as services to support youth with substance use disorder, withdrawal management services appropriate for people who use methamphetamine, Rapid Access Addictions Medicine clinics, and access to opioid dependence treatments, and culturally-appropriate care for Indigenous communities. Funds have also been used to implement innovative approaches to treatment, including ‘wrap-around’ care and the development of telehealth infrastructure to connect clients in remote and rural settings.In addition to these investments, the Government of Canada has supported the expansion of supervised consumption services (SCS) across Canada and also proactively issued exemptions that allow provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved SCS has grown from one to 40. Since 2017, they have received over 4.3 million visits, responded to almost 50,000 overdoses, and made 257,000 referrals to health and social services [as of October 2023].We have also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to medications used in drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption authorized to a group of people, such as pharmacists, to conduct specific activities with controlled substances) to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving injectable diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder; as well facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of methadone and diacetylmorphine; and,  
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
We will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to respond to this crisis and to keep communities safe. Our government works closely with domestic and international partners to address the toxic illegal drug supply that is driving substance use harms and overdose deaths. We continue to equip border agents with the tools necessary to intercept controlled substances. For example, we have made it harder to access chemicals used to make fentanyl by scheduling them under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) and have also amended legislation to allow border officers to open mail of any weight, in order to stop drugs like fentanyl and carfentanil from entering Canada illegally through the mail system. Our government also works with private sector partners to address money laundering of the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking in an effort to dismantle the organized crime groups involved in the supply of these toxic illegal drugs.With respect to the call for immediate collaboration with provinces and territories, the Government of Canada continues to lead efforts to facilitate opportunities for collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, researchers, people with lived and living experience, community-based organizations, and other partners and stakeholders to reduce the harms associated with substance use and support efforts to provide a full range of culturally appropriate, evidence-based, and trauma-informed health and social services and supports to meet the diverse needs of people who use drugs.On February 7, 2023, the Government of Canada announced it will increase health funding to provinces and territories by nearly $200 billion over 10 years, in order to improve Canada’s health care system. This investment includes $25 billion for shared health priorities, including increasing access to mental health and substance use services and supports. These commitments are in addition to existing bilateral agreements with provinces and territories for health priorities, including mental health and substance use, that were put in place in 2017. These investments will set the foundation for long-term, integrated and sustained health care system change that builds on existing, targeted actions to address mental health and substance use challenges.We have also established federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the FPT Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the FPT Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners. In addition, discussions are held with provinces and territories at the Deputy Minister and Ministerial level through meetings of the Conference of Deputy Ministers of Health and the Federal, Provincial, Territorial Health Minister’s Meetings.To inform the federal approach, our government also regularly consults with stakeholders and has convened several expert advisory groups, including people directly impacted by substance use. Health Canada established the People with Lived and Living Experience Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy. We recognize that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. We continue to work closely across federal departments so that federal actions on mental health and addictions, homelessness and housing, poverty, and reconciliation are coordinated and synergistic. We are also committed to engaging collaboratively with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and other stakeholders to advance whole-of-society approaches to these issues.With respect to safer supply, a number of researchers in academic institutions across Canada are studying this emerging approach, contributing to the evidence base that can inform decision-making at local, provincial and federal levels. Safer supply builds on the evidence from medication-assisted approaches to the treatment of substance use disorder, with safer supply services having a number of unique goals and approaches that need to be assessed and evaluated on their own merits.The evidence base around safer supply is still developing, but is growing. Existing studies and evaluations of safer supply programs are showing some promising early outcomes, including:
  • reduced emergency department visits and hospitalizations; and
  • client reports of reductions in overdoses and illegal drug use, reduced engagement in criminalized activities, access to health and social services, improved trust in primary care providers among clients who face barriers to care, and other quality of life improvements.
Health Canada is supporting several studies of safer supply. This includes a preliminary assessment of safer supply pilot projects in Ontario, British Columbia and New Brunswick. The federal government, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), is also supporting a study being conducted by a research team from the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse. This four-year evaluation research project focuses on program implementation and the short-term health outcomes of 11 of the government funded safer supply pilot projects. The final results of this study are expected in 2025. Additionally, CIHR has awarded $2 million to the University of Victoria to support a four-year study evaluating the safer supply initiatives in British Columbia in partnership with Indigenous leaders, Elders and system partners.Our government is committed to working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and toward supportive and trusted relationships in health services and social supports, when needed. For example, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose. Furthermore, Bill C-5, which received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022, made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Among other measures, the amendments encourage police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures – including diverting individuals to treatment programs – instead of laying a criminal charge or prosecuting individuals for personal drug possession. These amendments also repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the CDSA to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use. These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada directing prosecutors that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.In addition, in May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia,  a time-limited exemption was granted under the CDSA so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for the personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, individuals will be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they can also receive assistance to connect with those services. This exemption,  which is in effect from January 31, 2023, to January 31, 2026, is part of a much broader strategy British Columbia and this Government are taking to help people who use drugs access supports and services, rather than face criminal charges. This time-limited exemption is being supported by rigorous monitoring and a third-party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes and inform implementation.Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The items above are some examples of concrete actions taken by the federal government to address the overdose crisis, please visit the following website for a comprehensive list of all the actions taken to date.The Government of Canada remains committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to this tragic and complex public health crisis to help reduce harms and save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the toxic drug and overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abuseOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledNovember 8, 2023441-01655441-01655 (Health)GordJohnsCourtenay—AlberniNDPBCSeptember 25, 2023November 8, 2023March 7, 2023Petition to the Government of Canada Whereas:Opioid crisis is one of the most deadly public health emergencies of our lifetime, with approximately 21 deaths every day and an overall death toll of 30,843 in the past six and one quarter years (January 2016 to March 2022); andThe overdose crisis rages.We, the undersigned, call upon the Government of Canada to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency and:Take steps to end overdose deaths and overdose injuries;Immediately collaborate with provinces and territories to develop a comprehensive, pan-Canadian overdose action plan;Ensure that any plan considers reforms that other countries have used, such as legal regulation of drugs to ensure safe supply, decriminalization for personal use, and changes to flawed drug policy and policing; andEnsure this emergency is taken seriously with adequately funded programming and supports.
Response by the Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Darren FisherThe toxic drug and overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which is having devastating impacts on individuals, friends and families, and communities across the country. While there are a number of complex factors that contribute to the high rates of overdoses that we are seeing today, four out of every five deaths are caused by opioids that come from the illegal drug supply which has become increasingly more toxic and unpredictable. The cost of substance use-related harms is not limited to the loss of lives alone and, more broadly, impacts health, social well-being, and public safety.The Government of Canada takes this crisis very seriously and is committed to working together with all orders of government, Indigenous Peoples and communities, partners from law enforcement, criminal justice, health and social systems, and people with lived and living experience and other key stakeholders, to take urgent action and leverage every available tool to save lives and work towards an end to this national public health crisis.Provinces and territories have a range of tools and authorities to address the ongoing overdose crisis in their respective jurisdictions. This includes the power to declare a public health emergency which allows a provincial or territorial government to access and exercise extraordinary powers in response to a significant increase in opioid-related deaths as was the case for British Columbia in April 2016 and Alberta in May 2017. More recently, Yukon declared a substance use health emergency in January 2022. In addition to provincial and territorial emergency declarations, some Indigenous communities have also declared emergencies in response to rising substance use-related harms and deaths.Invoking the federal Emergencies Act is intended to serve as a tool of last resort to ensure the safety and security of Canadians in cases of temporary, critical national emergencies that cannot be addressed with existing federal, provincial or territorial laws. As such, the Emergencies Act is not an appropriate mechanism to address the ongoing overdose crisis, which requires a longer-term, sustained, and multi-jurisdictional effort to address the complex, interrelated health, social and economic factors driving substance use-related deaths and harms.The Government of Canada has publicly recognized the overdose crisis is a public health crisis. Canada is committed to continued action using the broad range of powers at its disposal and to take steps to end overdose deaths and substance-use related harms. Canada’s approach to addressing the overdose crisis and substance use-related harms 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 and keep our communities safe. Recognizing the need for comprehensive approaches to save lives, our government supports a full range of integrated, evidence-based services and supports, including improving access to treatment and harm reduction; increasing awareness, prevention and stigma reduction activities; further building the evidence base; and strengthening enforcement to address illegal drug production and trafficking.Since 2017, the federal government has made commitments of more than $1 billion and has taken significant action to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. This includes a Budget 2023 commitment of $359.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $5.7 million ongoing, to support a renewed CDSS which will continue to guide the government's work to save lives and protect the health and safety of Canadians by :
  • 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
These investments have made a difference in reducing overdose deaths and harms. For example, through the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP), Health Canada has provided over $500 million to support more than 380 community-based projects focused on innovative treatment, harm reduction, prevention and stigma reduction activities. More than $26 million of this funding was dedicated to expanding Naloxone awareness, training and distribution across Canada. We also  invested $22.8 million in public education through national and targeted advertising, partnerships and experiential marketing on the risks of opioids, overdose awareness, harm reduction and stigma awareness and reduction. In addition, the Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the toxic illegal drug supply – a practice often referred to as safer supply. As of June 2023, Health Canada has supported 31 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through SUAP representing total funding commitments of over $100 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders.These investments have also improved access to treatment. For example, provinces and territories have used federal investments provided through Budget 2018 for the Emergency Treatment Fund to expand existing treatment approaches such as services to support youth with substance use disorder, withdrawal management services appropriate for people who use methamphetamine, Rapid Access Addictions Medicine clinics, and access to opioid dependence treatments, and culturally-appropriate care for Indigenous communities. Funds have also been used to implement innovative approaches to treatment, including ‘wrap-around’ care and the development of telehealth infrastructure to connect clients in remote and rural settings.In addition to these investments, the Government of Canada has supported the expansion of supervised consumption services (SCS) across Canada and also proactively issued exemptions that allow provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved SCS has grown from one to 40. Since 2017, they have received over 4.3 million visits, responded to almost 50,000 overdoses, and made 257,000 referrals to health and social services [as of October 2023].We have also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to medications used in drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption authorized to a group of people, such as pharmacists, to conduct specific activities with controlled substances) to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving injectable diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder; as well facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of methadone and diacetylmorphine; and,  
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
We will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to respond to this crisis and to keep communities safe. Our government works closely with domestic and international partners to address the toxic illegal drug supply that is driving substance use harms and overdose deaths. We continue to equip border agents with the tools necessary to intercept controlled substances. For example, we have made it harder to access chemicals used to make fentanyl by scheduling them under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) and have also amended legislation to allow border officers to open mail of any weight, in order to stop drugs like fentanyl and carfentanil from entering Canada illegally through the mail system. Our government also works with private sector partners to address money laundering of the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking in an effort to dismantle the organized crime groups involved in the supply of these toxic illegal drugs.With respect to the call for immediate collaboration with provinces and territories, the Government of Canada continues to lead efforts to facilitate opportunities for collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, researchers, people with lived and living experience, community-based organizations, and other partners and stakeholders to reduce the harms associated with substance use and support efforts to provide a full range of culturally appropriate, evidence-based, and trauma-informed health and social services and supports to meet the diverse needs of people who use drugs.On February 7, 2023, the Government of Canada announced it will increase health funding to provinces and territories by nearly $200 billion over 10 years, in order to improve Canada’s health care system. This investment includes $25 billion for shared health priorities, including increasing access to mental health and substance use services and supports. These commitments are in addition to existing bilateral agreements with provinces and territories for health priorities, including mental health and substance use, that were put in place in 2017. These investments will set the foundation for long-term, integrated and sustained health care system change that builds on existing, targeted actions to address mental health and substance use challenges.We have also established federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the FPT Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the FPT Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners. In addition, discussions are held with provinces and territories at the Deputy Minister and Ministerial level through meetings of the Conference of Deputy Ministers of Health and the Federal, Provincial, Territorial Health Minister’s Meetings.To inform the federal approach, our government also regularly consults with stakeholders and has convened several expert advisory groups, including people directly impacted by substance use. Health Canada established the People with Lived and Living Experience Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy. We recognize that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. We continue to work closely across federal departments so that federal actions on mental health and addictions, homelessness and housing, poverty, and reconciliation are coordinated and synergistic. We are also committed to engaging collaboratively with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and other stakeholders to advance whole-of-society approaches to these issues.With respect to safer supply, a number of researchers in academic institutions across Canada are studying this emerging approach, contributing to the evidence base that can inform decision-making at local, provincial and federal levels. Safer supply builds on the evidence from medication-assisted approaches to the treatment of substance use disorder, with safer supply services having a number of unique goals and approaches that need to be assessed and evaluated on their own merits.The evidence base around safer supply is still developing, but is growing. Existing studies and evaluations of safer supply programs are showing some promising early outcomes, including:
  • reduced emergency department visits and hospitalizations; and
  • client reports of reductions in overdoses and illegal drug use, reduced engagement in criminalized activities, access to health and social services, improved trust in primary care providers among clients who face barriers to care, and other quality of life improvements.
Health Canada is supporting several studies of safer supply. This includes a preliminary assessment of safer supply pilot projects in Ontario, British Columbia and New Brunswick. The federal government, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), is also supporting a study being conducted by a research team from the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse. This four-year evaluation research project focuses on program implementation and the short-term health outcomes of 11 of the government funded safer supply pilot projects. The final results of this study are expected in 2025. Additionally, CIHR has awarded $2 million to the University of Victoria to support a four-year study evaluating the safer supply initiatives in British Columbia in partnership with Indigenous leaders, Elders and system partners.Our government is committed to working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and toward supportive and trusted relationships in health services and social supports, when needed. For example, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose. Furthermore, Bill C-5, which received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022, made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Among other measures, the amendments encourage police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures – including diverting individuals to treatment programs – instead of laying a criminal charge or prosecuting individuals for personal drug possession. These amendments also repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the CDSA to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use. These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada directing prosecutors that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.In addition, in May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia,  a time-limited exemption was granted under the CDSA so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for the personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, individuals will be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they can also receive assistance to connect with those services. This exemption,  which is in effect from January 31, 2023, to January 31, 2026, is part of a much broader strategy British Columbia and this Government are taking to help people who use drugs access supports and services, rather than face criminal charges. This time-limited exemption is being supported by rigorous monitoring and a third-party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes and inform implementation.Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The items above are some examples of concrete actions taken by the federal government to address the overdose crisis, please visit the following website for a comprehensive list of all the actions taken to date.The Government of Canada remains committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to this tragic and complex public health crisis to help reduce harms and save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the toxic drug and overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
Drug use and abuseHealth emergenciesOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament220CertifiedOctober 4, 2023e-4248e-4248 (Health)JustinSingerDonDaviesVancouver KingswayNDPBCJune 2, 2023, at 5:05 p.m. (EDT)September 30, 2023, at 5:05 p.m. (EDT)October 4, 2023Petition to the <Addressee type="3" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">Government of Canada</Addressee>Whereas:The COVID-19 pandemic continues to put an unsustainable level of strain on Canada’s public health system;First-generation mRNA vaccines do not entirely eliminate the danger of post-acute sequelae from COVID-19 infections; andLeading WHO officials have suggested that we may be well-positioned to end the COVID-19 pandemic in 2023. They emphasize, however, that this will require vigilance and effort.We, the undersigned, concerned citizens and residents of Canada, members of the scientific and public health communities, and advocates for evidence-based public policy, call upon the Government of Canada to:1. Bring provincial health care systems into compliance with the criteria of public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability, and accessibility, as outlined in the Canada Health Act;2. Provide a large boost of funding and other necessary resources to accelerate the roll-out of variant-proof, pan-sarbecovirus, pan-betacoronavirus, and nasally-administered COVID-19 vaccines, and to facilitate the development of new post-infection therapeutics;3. Enforce air quality standards for all public buildings, and provide funding for the resources needed to maintain these standards, such as HEPA air purifiers and carbon dioxide monitors. Incorporate air quality standards into existing workplace health and safety regulations;4. Institute universal mandatory paid sick leave of at least two weeks;5. Reinstate mask mandates in all indoor public spaces. Emphasize the goal of limiting the spread of infections in order to buy time until the widespread implementation of air quality improvement measures is achieved in indoor public spaces, and more effective vaccines and therapeutics become available;6. Implement a permanent, nation-wide vaccine campaign in order to counteract the influence of anti-vaccine misinformation and habituate the public toward stay up-to-date of COVID-19 vaccines; and7. Get Canada’s international partners on board with a coordinated “final push.”COVID-19Health care systemPandemicPublic health44th Parliament223Government response tabledAugust 16, 2023441-01489441-01489 (Health)GordJohnsCourtenay—AlberniNDPBCMay 30, 2023August 16, 2023March 7, 2023Petition to the Government of Canada Whereas:Opioid crisis is one of the most deadly public health emergencies of our lifetime, with approximately 21 deaths every day and an overall death toll of 30,843 in the past six and one quarter years (January 2016 to March 2022); andThe overdose crisis rages.We, the undersigned, call upon the Government of Canada to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency and:Take steps to end overdose deaths and overdose injuries;Immediately collaborate with provinces and territories to develop a comprehensive, pan-Canadian overdose action plan;Ensure that any plan considers reforms that other countries have used, such as legal regulation of drugs to ensure safe supply, decriminalization for personal use, and changes to flawed drug policy and policing; andEnsure this emergency is taken seriously with adequately funded programming and supports.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe toxic drug and overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the crisis has only become more complex due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services due to COVID-related health measures (such as social distancing requirements, isolation requirements, etc.) and staff shortages, such as life-saving harm reduction, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other partners, including researchers, advocates and people with lived and living experience (PWLLE), to ensure that people who use drugs can continue to access the treatment, harm reduction and other services they need.The Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis as a health issue and is working with partners across all provinces and territories to save lives.The Government of Canada recognizes that substance use is a public health issue, not an issue for the criminal justice system. We are committed to a public health approach to address the crisis. Canada’s approach to substance use issues 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2017, the federal government has taken significant actions and made commitments of more than $1 billion to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. Recent examples of key federal investments in this area include:
  • Close to $500 million through the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) since 2017 in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide direct services in a COVID-19 context and to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services; and,
  • $45 million to develop national standards for mental health and substance use services, in collaboration with provinces and territories, health organizations and key stakeholders, to address long-standing challenges in the delivery of mental health and substance use services and supports across the country; and,
  • $22.8 million in public education through national and targeted advertising, partnerships and experiential marketing on the risks of opioids, overdose awareness, harm reduction and stigma awareness and reduction.
Budget 2023 proposes to provide a total of $359.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $5.7 million ongoing and $1.3 million in remaining amortization, to support a renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy, which would guide the government's work to save lives and protect the health and safety of Canadians. This includes:
  • $144 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Health Canada for the Substance Use and Addictions Program to fund community-based supports, including safer supply, supervised consumption sites, and other evidence-based health interventions;
  • $20.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada for a new community-based program to prevent substance use among young people; 
  • $73.9 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $4.6 million ongoing, to Health Canada to streamline authorizations for supervised consumption sites and drug checking services, scale-up access to safer supply, and evaluate innovative approaches;
  • $50.8 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $1.1 million ongoing and $1.3 million in remaining amortization, to Health Canada, and $16 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support vital data collection on substance-related harms and lab-based analysis of the illegal drug supply;
  • $4.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Safety Canada to develop an overdose monitoring app for paramedics and other first responders; and,
  • $42 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, $6.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Services and Procurement Canada, and $1.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, sourced from existing resources, to Global Affairs Canada, to take further action to work with our partners to tackle drug trafficking and stem the global flow of these devastating substances.
Of note, under SUAP, more than $26 million has been allocated to fund Naloxone distribution, education and training. In addition, the Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply – a practice often referred to as safer supply. As of June 2023, Health Canada has supported 31 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through SUAP representing total funding commitments of over $100 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects, and a National Safer Supply Community of Practice to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders.Health Canada has supported the rapid expansion of supervised consumption services across Canada. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved supervised consumption sites offering services has grown from 1 to 40. Health Canada also proactively issued exemptions that allows provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing supervised consumption sites, shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Urgent Public Health Need Sites, unlike supervised consumption sites, are temporary locations that can be set up rapidly to address the overdose crisis. Both share the goal of reducing overdose deaths.We have also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to medications used in drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption authorized to a group of people, such as pharmacists, to conduct specific activities with controlled substances) to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving injectable diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder; as well facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of methadone and diacetylmorphine; and,  
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
The Government recognizes that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. We continue to work closely across federal departments to ensure that federal actions on mental health and addictions, homelessness and housing, poverty, and reconciliation are coordinated and synergistic. We are also committed to engaging collaboratively with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and other stakeholders to advance whole-of-society approaches to these issues.The Government of Canada is also working closely with provinces and territories to change the way our healthcare system delivers mental health and substance use services to Canadians. It is important for Canadians to have timely access to trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, quality mental health and substance use services that meet their needs, including underserved and equity-deserving individuals. That is why, on February 7, 2023, the Prime Minister announced that the federal government will invest $198.6 billion over ten years to bolster the health care system, notably: top-ups to the Canada Health Transfer to address immediate health care pressures; and $25 billion over 10 years to support shared health priorities through tailored bilateral agreements.In response to substance use harms and the opioid overdose crisis, the Government of Canada is regularly consulting with stakeholders and has convened several expert advisory groups, including people directly impacted by substance use. The Government regularly engages with PWLLE and organizations that represent them, including: regular bi-lateral meetings with key organizations; participation on projects teams; facilitating PWLLE engagement in government and ministerial events and meaningful consultations in order to better understand their perspectives of substance use; and on-the-ground realities (e.g., roundtables, Knowledge Exchange Series, etc.).Health Canada established the PWLLE Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners.The Government of Canada continues collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, researchers, people with lived and living experience, stakeholders and partners such as community-based organizations to reduce the harms associated with substance use and providing people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need.Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of personal drug possession can, increase risks of overdose and other harms, increase barriers to care and perpetuate stigma. Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The federal government is committed to using every tool at its disposal and examining all evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and toward supportive and trusted relationships in health services and social supports, when needed. For example, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose.Furthermore, Bill C-5, which received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022, made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Among other measures, the amendments encourage police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures – including diverting individuals to treatment programs – instead of laying a criminal charge or prosecuting individuals for personal drug possession. These amendments also repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the CDSA to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use. These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada directing prosecutors that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.In May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health granted a time-limited exemption under the CDSA so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, where appropriate, individuals may be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they could also receive assistance to connect with those services. British Columbia requested this exemption, and it is an additional way that the federal government is supporting the province’s comprehensive approach to the overdose crisis. This time-limited exemption will be supported by rigorous monitoring and a third-party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes. The results will help inform Canada’s comprehensive approach to addressing substance use harms. We have also received a request from Toronto Public Health, and we are working in close partnership to ensure both public health and public safety considerations are included. We will continue to work with willing jurisdictions to use all the tools at our disposal, including approaches related to decriminalization, to respond to this crisis.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the toxic drug and overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
Drug use and abuseHealth emergenciesOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledAugust 16, 2023441-01473441-01473 (Health)ElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCMay 29, 2023August 16, 2023February 6, 2023PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLEDWhereas:
  • The overdose crisis in Canada is a public health emergency, as has already been declared by British Columbia's Provincial Health Officer and several municipalities across Canada;
  • More than 13,900 individuals have died of opioid-related deaths and there have been 17,050 opioid-related poisoning hospitalizations in Canada since 2016;
  • There is disproportionate representation of Indigenous people affected by the overdose crisis; and
  • The Canadian Public Health Association, the Global Commission on Drug Policy, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations, have recommended drug decriminalization.
We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to:
  • Declare a public health emergency due to overdose deaths in Canada;
  • Reframe the overdose crisis in Canada as a health issue rather than a criminal issue;
  • Take a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to the overdose crisis, by addressing issues of addiction, poverty, housing, health care, racial discrimination, and economic inequality and instability;
  • Listen to and act on recommendations made by social workers, front-line workers, nurses, doctors, drug users, and individuals directly involved in the drug-using community; and
  • Decriminalize drugs in Canada.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe toxic drug and overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the crisis has only become more complex due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services due to COVID-related health measures (such as social distancing requirements, isolation requirements, etc.) and staff shortages, such as life-saving harm reduction, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other partners, including researchers, advocates and people with lived and living experience (PWLLE), to ensure that people who use drugs can continue to access the treatment, harm reduction and other services they need.The Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis as a health issue and is working with partners across all provinces and territories to save lives.The Government of Canada recognizes that substance use is a public health issue, not an issue for the criminal justice system. We are committed to a public health approach to address the crisis. Canada’s approach to substance use issues 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2017, the federal government has taken significant actions and made commitments of more than $1 billion to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. Recent examples of key federal investments in this area include:
  • Close to $500 million through the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) since 2017 in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide direct services in a COVID-19 context and to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services; and,
  • $45 million to develop national standards for mental health and substance use services, in collaboration with provinces and territories, health organizations and key stakeholders, to address long-standing challenges in the delivery of mental health and substance use services and supports across the country; and,
  • $22.8 million in public education through national and targeted advertising, partnerships and experiential marketing on the risks of opioids, overdose awareness, harm reduction and stigma awareness and reduction.
Budget 2023 proposes to provide a total of $359.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $5.7 million ongoing and $1.3 million in remaining amortization, to support a renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy, which would guide the government's work to save lives and protect the health and safety of Canadians. This includes:
  • $144 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Health Canada for the Substance Use and Addictions Program to fund community-based supports, including safer supply, supervised consumption sites, and other evidence-based health interventions;
  • $20.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada for a new community-based program to prevent substance use among young people; 
  • $73.9 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $4.6 million ongoing, to Health Canada to streamline authorizations for supervised consumption sites and drug checking services, scale-up access to safer supply, and evaluate innovative approaches;
  • $50.8 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $1.1 million ongoing and $1.3 million in remaining amortization, to Health Canada, and $16 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support vital data collection on substance-related harms and lab-based analysis of the illegal drug supply;
  • $4.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Safety Canada to develop an overdose monitoring app for paramedics and other first responders; and,
  • $42 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, $6.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Services and Procurement Canada, and $1.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, sourced from existing resources, to Global Affairs Canada, to take further action to work with our partners to tackle drug trafficking and stem the global flow of these devastating substances.
Of note, under SUAP, more than $26 million has been allocated to fund Naloxone distribution, education and training. In addition, the Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply – a practice often referred to as safer supply. As of June 2023, Health Canada has supported 31 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through SUAP representing total funding commitments of over $100 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects, and a National Safer Supply Community of Practice to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders.Health Canada has supported the rapid expansion of supervised consumption services across Canada. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved supervised consumption sites offering services has grown from 1 to 40. Health Canada also proactively issued exemptions that allows provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing supervised consumption sites, shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Urgent Public Health Need Sites, unlike supervised consumption sites, are temporary locations that can be set up rapidly to address the overdose crisis. Both share the goal of reducing overdose deaths.We have also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to medications used in drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption authorized to a group of people, such as pharmacists, to conduct specific activities with controlled substances) to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving injectable diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder; as well facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of methadone and diacetylmorphine; and,  
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
The Government recognizes that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. We continue to work closely across federal departments to ensure that federal actions on mental health and addictions, homelessness and housing, poverty, and reconciliation are coordinated and synergistic. We are also committed to engaging collaboratively with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and other stakeholders to advance whole-of-society approaches to these issues.The Government of Canada is also working closely with provinces and territories to change the way our healthcare system delivers mental health and substance use services to Canadians. It is important for Canadians to have timely access to trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, quality mental health and substance use services that meet their needs, including underserved and equity-deserving individuals. That is why, on February 7, 2023, the Prime Minister announced that the federal government will invest $198.6 billion over ten years to bolster the health care system, notably: top-ups to the Canada Health Transfer to address immediate health care pressures; and $25 billion over 10 years to support shared health priorities through tailored bilateral agreements.In response to substance use harms and the opioid overdose crisis, the Government of Canada is regularly consulting with stakeholders and has convened several expert advisory groups, including people directly impacted by substance use. The Government regularly engages with PWLLE and organizations that represent them, including: regular bi-lateral meetings with key organizations; participation on projects teams; facilitating PWLLE engagement in government and ministerial events and meaningful consultations in order to better understand their perspectives of substance use; and on-the-ground realities (e.g., roundtables, Knowledge Exchange Series, etc.).Health Canada established the PWLLE Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners.The Government of Canada continues collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, researchers, people with lived and living experience, stakeholders and partners such as community-based organizations to reduce the harms associated with substance use and providing people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need.Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of personal drug possession can, increase risks of overdose and other harms, increase barriers to care and perpetuate stigma. Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The federal government is committed to using every tool at its disposal and examining all evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and toward supportive and trusted relationships in health services and social supports, when needed. For example, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose.Furthermore, Bill C-5, which received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022, made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Among other measures, the amendments encourage police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures – including diverting individuals to treatment programs – instead of laying a criminal charge or prosecuting individuals for personal drug possession. These amendments also repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the CDSA to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use. These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada directing prosecutors that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.In May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health granted a time-limited exemption under the CDSA so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, where appropriate, individuals may be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they could also receive assistance to connect with those services. British Columbia requested this exemption, and it is an additional way that the federal government is supporting the province’s comprehensive approach to the overdose crisis. This time-limited exemption will be supported by rigorous monitoring and a third-party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes. The results will help inform Canada’s comprehensive approach to addressing substance use harms. We have also received a request from Toronto Public Health, and we are working in close partnership to ensure both public health and public safety considerations are included. We will continue to work with willing jurisdictions to use all the tools at our disposal, including approaches related to decriminalization, to respond to this crisis.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the toxic drug and overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abuseOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledJuly 19, 2023441-01516441-01516 (Health)GarnettGenuisSherwood Park—Fort SaskatchewanConservativeABJune 5, 2023July 19, 2023May 17, 2022Petition to the House of CommonsWe, the undersigned, citizens and permanent residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to end all Covid-19 mandates.
Response by the Minister of LabourSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Terry SheehanThe Government of Canada thanks the petitioners for their engagement on this issue.As of June 20, 2022, the Government of Canada suspended vaccination requirements for domestic and outbound travel, federally regulated transportation sectors and employees in the federal public sector. Furthermore, the Government has announced that it is no longer moving forward with proposed regulations under Part II (Occupational Health and Safety) of the Canada Labour Code to make vaccination mandatory in all federally regulated workplaces.Additionally, as of October 1, 2022, all COVID-19 border requirements ended for all travellers entering Canada whether by land, air or sea.The Government of Canada also announced that masks are no longer required for travel within Canada starting October 1, 2022. Although the masking requirement is being lifted, all travellers are strongly recommended to wear high quality and well-fitted masks during their journeys.As COVID-19 activity and hospitalizations continue in Canada, layers of prevention, including receiving recommended COVID-19 vaccinations and personal protective practices, such as wearing well-fitting masks, remain our best approach to reduce the risk of developing severe illness and limit the burden on the health system. The Government of Canada continues to encourage Canadians to follow public health recommendations and preventative measures to protect themselves and others in their communities.
COVID-19PandemicPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledJune 20, 2023441-01440441-01440 (Health)ElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCMay 11, 2023June 20, 2023February 8, 2023PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLEDWhereas:
  • The overdose crisis in Canada is a public health emergency, as has already been declared by British Columbia's Provincial Health Officer and several municipalities across Canada;
  • More than 13,900 individuals have died of opioid-related deaths and there have been 17,050 opioid-related poisoning hospitalizations in Canada since 2016;
  • There is disproportionate representation of Indigenous people affected by the overdose crisis; and
  • The Canadian Public Health Association, the Global Commission on Drug Policy, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations, have recommended drug decriminalization.
We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to:
  • Declare a public health emergency due to overdose deaths in Canada;
  • Reframe the overdose crisis in Canada as a health issue rather than a criminal issue;
  • Take a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to the overdose crisis, by addressing issues of addiction, poverty, housing, health care, racial discrimination, and economic inequality and instability;
  • Listen to and act on recommendations made by social workers, front-line workers, nurses, doctors, drug users, and individuals directly involved in the drug-using community; and
  • Decriminalize drugs in Canada.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe toxic drug and overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the crisis has only become more complex due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services due to COVID-related health measures (such as social distancing requirements, isolation requirements, etc.) and staff shortages, such as life-saving harm reduction, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other partners, including researchers, advocates and people with lived and living experience (PWLLE), to ensure that people who use drugs can continue to access the treatment, harm reduction and other services they need.The Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis as a health issue and is working with partners across all provinces and territories to save lives.The Government of Canada recognizes that substance use is a public health issue, not an issue for the criminal justice system. We are committed to a public health approach to address the crisis. Canada’s approach to substance use issues 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2017, the federal government has taken significant actions and made commitments of more than $1 billion to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. Recent examples of key federal investments in this area include:
  • Close to $500 million through the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) since 2017 in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide direct services in a COVID-19 context and to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services; and,
  • $45 million to develop national standards for mental health and substance use services, in collaboration with provinces and territories, health organizations and key stakeholders, to address long-standing challenges in the delivery of mental health and substance use services and supports across the country; and,
  • $22.8 million in public education through national and targeted advertising, partnerships and experiential marketing on the risks of opioids, overdose awareness, harm reduction and stigma awareness and reduction.
Budget 2023 proposes to provide a total of $359.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $5.7 million ongoing and $1.3 million in remaining amortization, to support a renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy, which would guide the government's work to save lives and protect the health and safety of Canadians. This includes:
  • $144 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Health Canada for the Substance Use and Addictions Program to fund community-based supports, including safer supply, supervised consumption sites, and other evidence-based health interventions;
  • $20.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada for a new community-based program to prevent substance use among young people; 
  • $73.9 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $4.6 million ongoing, to Health Canada to streamline authorizations for supervised consumption sites and drug checking services, scale-up access to safer supply, and evaluate innovative approaches;
  • $50.8 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $1.1 million ongoing and $1.3 million in remaining amortization, to Health Canada, and $16 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support vital data collection on substance-related harms and lab-based analysis of the illegal drug supply;
  • $4.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Safety Canada to develop an overdose monitoring app for paramedics and other first responders; and,
  • $42 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, $6.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Services and Procurement Canada, and $1.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, sourced from existing resources, to Global Affairs Canada, to take further action to work with our partners to tackle drug trafficking and stem the global flow of these devastating substances.
Of note, under SUAP, more than $26 million has been allocated to fund Naloxone distribution, education and training. In addition, the Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply – a practice often referred to as safer supply. As of June 2023, Health Canada has supported 31 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through SUAP representing total funding commitments of over $100 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects, and a National Safer Supply Community of Practice to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders.Health Canada has supported the rapid expansion of supervised consumption services across Canada. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved supervised consumption sites offering services has grown from 1 to 40. Health Canada also proactively issued exemptions that allows provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing supervised consumption sites, shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Urgent Public Health Need Sites, unlike supervised consumption sites, are temporary locations that can be set up rapidly to address the overdose crisis. Both share the goal of reducing overdose deaths.We have also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to medications used in drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption authorized to a group of people, such as pharmacists, to conduct specific activities with controlled substances) to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving injectable diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder; as well facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of methadone and diacetylmorphine; and,  
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
The Government recognizes that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. We continue to work closely across federal departments to ensure that federal actions on mental health and addictions, homelessness and housing, poverty, and reconciliation are coordinated and synergistic. We are also committed to engaging collaboratively with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and other stakeholders to advance whole-of-society approaches to these issues.The Government of Canada is also working closely with provinces and territories to change the way our healthcare system delivers mental health and substance use services to Canadians. It is important for Canadians to have timely access to trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, quality mental health and substance use services that meet their needs, including underserved and equity-deserving individuals. That is why, on February 7, 2023, the Prime Minister announced that the federal government will invest $198.6 billion over ten years to bolster the health care system, notably: top-ups to the Canada Health Transfer to address immediate health care pressures; and $25 billion over 10 years to support shared health priorities through tailored bilateral agreements.In response to substance use harms and the opioid overdose crisis, the Government of Canada is regularly consulting with stakeholders and has convened several expert advisory groups, including people directly impacted by substance use. The Government regularly engages with PWLLE and organizations that represent them, including: regular bi-lateral meetings with key organizations; participation on projects teams; facilitating PWLLE engagement in government and ministerial events and meaningful consultations in order to better understand their perspectives of substance use; and on-the-ground realities (e.g., roundtables, Knowledge Exchange Series, etc.).Health Canada established the PWLLE Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners.The Government of Canada continues collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, researchers, people with lived and living experience, stakeholders and partners such as community-based organizations to reduce the harms associated with substance use and providing people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need.Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of personal drug possession can, increase risks of overdose and other harms, increase barriers to care and perpetuate stigma. Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The federal government is committed to using every tool at its disposal and examining all evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and toward supportive and trusted relationships in health services and social supports, when needed. For example, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose.Furthermore, Bill C-5, which received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022, made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Among other measures, the amendments encourage police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures – including diverting individuals to treatment programs – instead of laying a criminal charge or prosecuting individuals for personal drug possession. These amendments also repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the CDSA to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use. These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada directing prosecutors that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.In May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health granted a time-limited exemption under the CDSA so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, where appropriate, individuals may be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they could also receive assistance to connect with those services. British Columbia requested this exemption, and it is an additional way that the federal government is supporting the province’s comprehensive approach to the overdose crisis. This time-limited exemption will be supported by rigorous monitoring and a third-party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes. The results will help inform Canada’s comprehensive approach to addressing substance use harms. We have also received a request from Toronto Public Health, and we are working in close partnership to ensure both public health and public safety considerations are included. We will continue to work with willing jurisdictions to use all the tools at our disposal, including approaches related to decriminalization, to respond to this crisis.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the toxic drug and overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abuseOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledJune 12, 2023441-01381441-01381 (Health)AlexandreBoulericeRosemont—La Petite-PatrieNDPQCApril 27, 2023June 12, 2023May 13, 2022Petition to the Government of CanadaWhereas:The opioid crisis is one of the deadliest public health emergencies of our time, causing an average of one new death every two hours, with a death toll of 21,174 over the past five years (January 2016 to December 2020); andThe overdose crisis is raging.We, the undersigned, call upon the Government of Canada to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency and to:
  • Take measures to end the deaths and health damage caused by overdoses;
  • Immediately start working with the provinces and territories on a comprehensive Canada-wide overdose action plan;
  • Ensure that any plan takes into account the reforms made by other countries, including the legal regulation of drugs to ensure a safe supply, the decriminalization of drug possession for personal use and changes to ineffective enforcement policies and mechanisms; and
  • Ensure that this emergency situation is taken seriously by providing adequate funding for programs and supports.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe toxic drug and overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the crisis has only become more complex due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services due to COVID-related health measures (such as social distancing requirements, isolation requirements, etc.) and staff shortages, such as life-saving harm reduction, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other partners, including researchers, advocates and people with lived and living experience (PWLLE), to ensure that people who use drugs can continue to access the treatment, harm reduction and other services they need.The Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis as a health issue and is working with partners across all provinces and territories to save lives. Provinces and territories have a range of tools and authorities to address the ongoing overdose crisis in their respective jurisdictions. For example, provinces and territories fund and deliver the majority of direct social and health interventions, such as naloxone distribution and supervised consumption sites, which are shown to effectively reduce overdoses deaths and harms. Provinces, territories and municipalities also have the power to declare a public health emergency in response to a significant increase in overdose-related deaths, as was the case for British Columbia in April 2016 and Alberta declaring a public health crisis in May 2017. More recently, Yukon declared a substance use health emergency in January 2022. The declaration of a provincial and territorial public health emergency allows a provincial and territorial government to access and exercise extraordinary powers to address a crisis. In addition to provincial and territorial emergency declarations, some First Nations communities have also declared emergencies in response to rising substance use-related harms and deaths, including Ehattesaht First Nation in British Columbia, Mikisew Cree First Nation in Alberta and O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation in Manitoba.The Emergencies Act is not an appropriate mechanism to address the ongoing overdose crisis, which requires a longer-term, sustained, and multi-jurisdictional effort to address the complex, interrelated health, social and economic factors driving opioid-related deaths and harms. At the federal level, we have taken action by: reducing legislative and regulatory barriers; developing new prescription guidelines and marketing restrictions; launching a public awareness campaign; improving the knowledge base; supporting treatment, safer supply and harm reduction initiatives across Canada; working with domestic and international partners to reduce the illegal drug supply; and, providing emergency funding to provinces and territories.The Government of Canada recognizes that substance use is a public health issue, not an issue for the criminal justice system. We are committed to a public health approach to address the crisis. Canada’s approach to substance use issues 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2017, the federal government has taken significant actions and made commitments of more than $1 billion to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. Recent examples of key federal investments in this area include:
  • Close to $500 million through the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) since 2017 in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide direct services in a COVID-19 context and to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services;
  • $45 million to develop national standards for mental health and substance use services, in collaboration with provinces and territories, health organizations and key stakeholders, to address long-standing challenges in the delivery of mental health and substance use services and supports across the country; and,
  • $22.8 million in public education through national and targeted advertising, partnerships and experiential marketing on the risks of opioids, overdose awareness, harm reduction and stigma awareness and reduction.
Budget 2023 proposes to provide a total of $359.2 over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $5.7 million ongoing and $1.3 million in remaining amortization to support a renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy, which would guide the government's work to save lives and protect the health and safety of Canadians. This includes:
  • $144 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Health Canada for the Substance Use and Addictions Program to fund community-based supports, including safer supply, supervised consumption sites, and other evidence-based health interventions;
  • $20.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada for a new community-based program to prevent substance use among young people; 
  • $73.9 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $4.6 million ongoing, to Health Canada to streamline authorizations for supervised consumption sites and drug checking services, scale-up access to safer supply, and evaluate innovative approaches;
  • $50.8 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $1.1 million ongoing and $1.3 million in remaining amortization, to Health Canada; and $16 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support vital data collection on substance-related harms and lab-based analysis of the illegal drug supply;
  • $4.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Safety Canada to develop an overdose monitoring app for paramedics and other first responders; and
  • $42 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; $6.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Services and Procurement Canada; and $1.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, sourced from existing resources, to Global Affairs Canada to take further action to work with our partners to tackle drug trafficking and stem the global flow of these devastating substances.
Of note, under SUAP, more than $26 million has been allocated to fund Naloxone distribution, education and training. In addition, through SUAP, the Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply – a practice often referred to as safer supply. As of May2023, Health Canada has supported 31 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through the SUAP representing total funding commitments of over $100 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects, and a National Safer Supply Community of Practice to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders.Health Canada has supported the rapid expansion of supervised consumption services across Canada. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved supervised consumption sites (SCS) offering services grew from 1 to 40. Health Canada also proactively issued exemptions that allows provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing supervised consumption sites, shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Urgent Public Health Need Sites, unlike supervised consumption sites, are temporary locations that can be set up rapidly to address the overdose crisis. Both share the goal of reducing overdose deaths.We have also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to medications used in drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption authorized to a group of people, such as pharmacists, to conduct specific activities with controlled substances) to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving injectable diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder; as well facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of methadone and diacetylmorphine; and  
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
The Government recognizes that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. We continue to work closely across federal departments to ensure that federal actions on mental health and addictions, homelessness and housing, poverty, and reconciliation are coordinated and synergistic. We are also committed to engaging collaboratively with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and other stakeholders to advance whole-of-society approaches to these issues.The Government of Canada is also working closely with provinces and territories to change the way our healthcare system delivers mental health and substance use services to Canadians. It is important for Canadians to have timely access to trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, quality mental health and substance use services that meet their needs, including underserved and equity-deserving individuals. That is why, on February 7, 2023, the Prime Minister announced that the federal government will invest $198.6 billion over ten years to bolster the health care system, notably: top-ups to the Canada Health Transfer to address immediate health care pressures; and $25 billion over 10 years to support shared health priorities through tailored bilateral agreements.In response to substance use harms and the opioid overdose crisis, the Government of Canada is regularly consulting with stakeholders and has convened several expert advisory groups, including people directly impacted by substance use. The Government regularly engages with PWLLE and organizations that represent them, including; regular bi-lateral meetings with key organizations; participation on projects teams; facilitating PWLLE engagement in government and ministerial events and meaningful consultations in order to better understand their perspectives of substance use; and, on-the- ground realities (e.g., roundtables, Knowledge Exchange Series, etc.).Health Canada established the PWLLE Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners.The Government of Canada continues collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, researchers, people with lived and living experience, stakeholders and partners such as community-based organizations to reduce the harms associated with substance use and providing people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need.Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of personal drug possession can, increase risks of overdose and other harms, increase barriers to care and perpetuate stigma. Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The federal government is committed to using every tool at its disposal and examining all evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and toward supportive and trusted relationships in health services and social supports, when needed. For example, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose.Furthermore, Bill C-5, which received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022, made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Among other measures, the amendments encourage police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures – including diverting individuals to treatment programs – instead of laying a criminal charge or prosecuting individuals for personal drug possession. These amendments also repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use. These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada directing prosecutors that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.In May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health granted a time-limited exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, where appropriate, individuals may be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they could also receive assistance to connect with those services. British Columbia requested this exemption, and it is an additional way that the federal government is supporting the province’s comprehensive approach to the overdose crisis. This time-limited exemption will be supported by rigorous monitoring and a third-party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes. The results will help inform Canada’s comprehensive approach to addressing substance use harms. We have also received a request from Toronto Public Health, and we are working in close partnership to ensure both public health and public safety considerations are included. We will continue to work with willing jurisdictions to use all the tools at our disposal, including approaches related to decriminalization, to respond to this crisis.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the toxic drug and overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abuseOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledJune 12, 2023441-01378441-01378 (Health)CherylGallantRenfrew—Nipissing—PembrokeConservativeONApril 27, 2023June 12, 2023March 7, 2022PETITION TO THE PRIME MINISTERWhereas:
  • Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canada's Bill of Rights, and Canada's history of sacrifice in defence of liberty, demand we respect and uphold the conscience rights of all Canadians; and
  • The Prime Minister has encouraged hatred and contempt towards individuals exercising their constitutionally protected conscience rights.
Therefore, we, the undersigned citizens of Canada, call upon the Prime Minister to:1- End pandemic mandates on the members of our Public Service, the Canadian Armed Forces personnel, all contractors subject to the federal mandates, and all federally regulated workers; and 2- Lift border restrictions related to the pandemic for all Canadians, including ceasing the covid testing required of Canadians upon returning to Canada.
Response by the Minister of Public Services and ProcurementSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Anthony HousefatherOn June 14, 2022, the Government of Canada announced the suspension of mandatory vaccination for federal employees effective June 20, 2022. In alignment with this measure, the Government of Canada also suspended the COVID-19 Vaccination Policy for Supplier Personnel.This means that as of June 20, 2022, and until further notice, the vaccination requirements of the policy are no longer in effect.Please note that Supplier Personnel may still be required to comply with site-specific workplace health and safety measures that have been put in place by federal departments and agencies separately from the policy.Canada reserves the right to reinstate the policy in the future in alignment with public health guidelines and any vaccination requirements for the public service.
Response by the Minister of National DefenceSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Bryan MayProtecting the health and safety of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel is critical to maintaining the CAF’s readiness to deliver on Government of Canada missions at home and around the world.COVID-19 vaccine requirements are one of the many public health measures within our broader layered risk mitigation strategy that the CAF continues to assess. These measures have enabled the CAF to carry out operations at home and abroad, including the Whole of Government pandemic response.As the pandemic has evolved, so too have force protection measures. In October 2022, the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) amended the directive on CAF COVID-19 vaccination. Since then, the requirement to have the COVID-19 vaccine has been guided by operational readiness and effectiveness. It will be required for employment in certain positions and on certain operations where it is assessed that the greatest reduction of risk is warranted to maintain operational readiness. These requirements will focus on those high-readiness, deployable, or core missions or tasks where an illness would create risk to an individual or the mission.Further information about the CDS’ vaccination can be found at the following link: CDS Directive 003 on CAF COVID-19 Vaccination for Operations and Readiness.
Response by the President of the Treasury Board Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Greg FergusThe Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was implemented in the fall of 2021 when vaccination provided a high degree of protection against infection and transmission of COVID-19 viruses. This approach served as an effective public health measure to protect public servants and the communities they worked in.  All employees have had access to Public Health Agency of Canada/Health Canada information about vaccines and how they work so they could understand how vaccination helps protect them and their workplaces against COVID-19.The Policy is compliant with legislation, including the Privacy Act, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and collective agreements. On October 21, 2021, the Canadian Human Rights Commission published a guide on vaccination policies and human rights, which states that “Rights are not absolute. […] Requiring that an individual be vaccinated to work or travel is not a discriminatory practice under the Canadian Human Rights Act. Vaccination requirements are not a discriminatory practice because they are intended (and are necessary) to protect public health and safety.” The Policy provides for addressing requests for accommodation based on any prohibited ground of discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act, on a case-by-case basis.Based on the evolving nature of the pandemic and the scientific data, the Government of Canada announced on June 14th, 2022 that it would suspend vaccination requirements for federal government employees, and effective June 20, 2022, employees of the core public administration would no longer be required to be vaccinated as a condition of employment. Consequently, employees who had been placed on administrative leave without pay as per the Policy, could be reinstated as early as June 20, 2022.The decision to suspend the Policy is based on the latest scientific evidence related to vaccine effectiveness against transmission and infection with evolving COVID-19 variants. Suspending the Policy allows the Government to easily reinstate it as needed, based on science and public health risk, in the future. 
Response by the Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Adam Van KoeverdenSince the beginning of the pandemic, our top priority has been protecting the health and safety of all Canadians. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has taken a comprehensive, layered approach to border management, with measures informed by available data, operational considerations, scientific evidence, and monitoring of the epidemiological situation and pandemic response capacity both in Canada and internationally. A number of factors supported lifting Canada’s COVID-19 border measures and travel requirements. These included increased immunity within the Canadian population, lower hospitalization and death rates, high vaccination rates, as well as the availability of vaccines (including bivalent formulation), rapid tests and treatments.As of October 1, 2022, all travellers arriving in Canada are no longer required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter Canada or meet COVID-19 testing, quarantine or isolation requirements. Travellers no longer have to submit their public health information through ArriveCAN, undergo health checks for travel on air and rail or wear masks on planes and trains.Even though the current COVID-19 situation no longer constitutes a global health emergency, the virus is still circulating across Canada and worldwide.  Our government encourages individuals to remain up to date with the recommended vaccinations, including booster doses when eligible. While not mandatory, all travellers are strongly recommended to wear well-constructed and well-fitted masks during their travel on planes and in airports, or other crowded indoor settings. Individuals are reminded that they should not travel if they have symptoms of COVID-19. If travellers become sick while travelling, and are still sick when they arrive in Canada, they should inform a flight attendant or a border services officer upon arrival.We will continue to work with provinces and territories, the WHO, and international partners to monitor the COVID-19 situation and to mitigate the domestic health and societal impacts of this virus. Our government will not hesitate to put in place additional protective measures for the health and safety of people in Canada should it be required.
BordersCOVID-19Federally regulated employers and employeesPandemicPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledJune 5, 2023441-01324441-01324 (Health)LoriIdloutNunavutNDPNUApril 21, 2023June 5, 2023January 24, 2023PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLEDWe, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled to the following:Whereas:Over 29,000 Canadians have died due to apparent opioid toxicity between January 2016 and December 2021. Those who have died as a result of the preventable drug toxicity crisis were loved and valued citizens of this country: our children, siblings, spouses, parents, family members, clients, friends; andCanada's current drug policies have proven to be ineffective in the prevention of substance use and exacerbate substance use harms and risks. The "war on drugs" has resulted in widespread stigma towards those who use controlled substances. The "war on drugs" has allowed organized crime to be the sole provider of most controlled substances. Problematic substance use is a health issue and that cannot be resolved through criminalizing personal possession and consumption. Decriminalization of personal possession is associated with significantly reducing drug toxicity deaths in the countries that have adopted progressive drug policy reforms.Therefore, we, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:1. Reform drug policy to decriminalize simple possession of drugs listed in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act;2. Provide a path for expungement of conviction records for those convicted of simple possession; and3. With urgency, implement a health-based National Strategy for providing access to a regulated safer supply of drugs and expand trauma-informed treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services, and public education and awareness campaigns throughout Canada.
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Parliamentary Secretary Gary Anandasangaree1. Bill C-5, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, received Royal Assent and came into force on November 17, 2022. The Bill aims to ensure that responses to criminal offences are fair and effective, while ensuring that public safety is maintained. The amendments to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) reinforce the Government’s commitment to address the ongoing opioid crisis by providing space to treat substance use as a health issue, rather than as a criminal one. The law now requires police and prosecutors to consider options  such as issuing a warning, or divert people to treatment programs or other supportive services instead of proceeding with charges for simple drug possession, and enacts for the first time in the CDSA a declaration of principles to guide them in exercising discretion.2. Bill C-5 further addresses the stigma associated with having a criminal record by: (1) limiting the kind of information that may be kept in the police record of warning or referrals and the use that can be made of such records, as well as to whom these records may be disclosed; and, (2) providing that past and future records of convictions for this offence be kept separate and apart from other records of convictions after a certain period of time.3. The 2018 Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act provides that the Governor in Council may list an offence as eligible for expungement if the activity no longer constitutes an offence, and the criminalization of the activity was a historical injustice. Bill C-5 did not repeal the offence of simple drug possession.
Response by the Minister of Public SafetySigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): PAM DAMOFF, M.P.The Government continues to deliver on its promise to work toward removing the stigma associated with convictions for simple possession of drugs.Expungement is intended for cases where the criminalization of an activity constitutes a historical injustice because, among other things, were it to occur today, it would be inconsistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Expungement was not intended to address changing societal norms, such as the legalization of cannabis or health and social issues such as the ongoing opioid crisis.However, originally introduced in Parliament on December 7, 2021, Bill C-5, an Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), was amended in September 2022 to address concerns about the ongoing stigma associated with a record of convictions for simple possession of drugs. It now specifies that past convictions under section 4(1) of the CDSA for possession of controlled drugs must be kept separate and apart from other criminal convictions within two years of the Bill’s coming into force. For convictions after the coming into force, the record of conviction must be kept separate and apart from other criminal convictions two years following sentence completion. This amendment is consistent with the underlying objective of the Bill to address the negative consequences associated with simple possession. The amendment acknowledges the calls from public health organizations and those who work with individuals with addictions. It helps address barriers to successful reintegration into society and also helps address a contributing cause of the ongoing opioid crisis, namely the stigmatization of people who use drugs. Bill C-5 received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022.Criminal records have a lasting impact on the ability of rehabilitated individuals to successfully reintegrate into society after overcoming personal challenges in their lives. Treating simple possession of drugs as a health and social issue means eliminating the stigma associated with convictions for simple possession.Public Safety Canada continues to work with other departments, including Health Canada and the Department of Justice, to support the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy, and address the national drug crisis as part of its mandate to keep cities and communities safe.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe toxic drug and overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the crisis has only become more complex due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services due to COVID-related health measures (such as social distancing requirements, isolation requirements, etc.) and staff shortages, such as life-saving harm reduction, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other partners, including researchers, advocates and people with lived and living experience (PWLLE), to ensure that people who use drugs can continue to access the treatment, harm reduction and other services they need.The Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis as a health issue and is working with partners across all provinces and territories to save lives.The Government of Canada recognizes that substance use is a public health issue, not an issue for the criminal justice system. We are committed to a public health approach to address the crisis. Canada’s approach to substance use issues 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2017, the federal government has taken significant actions and made commitments of more than $1 billion to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. Recent examples of key federal investments in this area include:
  • Close to $500 million through the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) since 2017 in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide direct services in a COVID-19 context and to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services; and,
  • $45 million to develop national standards for mental health and substance use services, in collaboration with provinces and territories, health organizations and key stakeholders, to address long-standing challenges in the delivery of mental health and substance use services and supports across the country; and,
  • $22.8 million in public education through national and targeted advertising, partnerships and experiential marketing on the risks of opioids, overdose awareness, harm reduction and stigma awareness and reduction.
Budget 2023 proposes to provide a total of $359.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $5.7 million ongoing and $1.3 million in remaining amortization, to support a renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy, which would guide the government's work to save lives and protect the health and safety of Canadians. This includes:
  • $144 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Health Canada for the Substance Use and Addictions Program to fund community-based supports, including safer supply, supervised consumption sites, and other evidence-based health interventions;
  • $20.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada for a new community-based program to prevent substance use among young people; 
  • $73.9 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $4.6 million ongoing, to Health Canada to streamline authorizations for supervised consumption sites and drug checking services, scale-up access to safer supply, and evaluate innovative approaches;
  • $50.8 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $1.1 million ongoing and $1.3 million in remaining amortization, to Health Canada; and $16 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support vital data collection on substance-related harms and lab-based analysis of the illegal drug supply;
  • $4.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Safety Canada to develop an overdose monitoring app for paramedics and other first responders; and,
  • $42 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; $6.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Services and Procurement Canada; and $1.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, sourced from existing resources, to Global Affairs Canada to take further action to work with our partners to tackle drug trafficking and stem the global flow of these devastating substances.
Of note, under SUAP, more than $26 million has been allocated to fund Naloxone distribution, education and training. In addition, the Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply – a practice often referred to as safer supply. As of May 2023, Health Canada has supported 31 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through SUAP representing total funding commitments of over $100 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects, and a National Safer Supply Community of Practice to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders.Health Canada has supported the rapid expansion of supervised consumption services across Canada. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved supervised consumption sites offering services has grown from 1 to 40. Health Canada also proactively issued exemptions that allows provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing supervised consumption sites, shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Urgent Public Health Need Sites, unlike supervised consumption sites, are temporary locations that can be set up rapidly to address the overdose crisis. Both share the goal of reducing overdose deaths.We have also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to medications used in drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption authorized to a group of people, such as pharmacists, to conduct specific activities with controlled substances) to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving injectable diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder; as well facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of methadone and diacetylmorphine; and  
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
The Government recognizes that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. We continue to work closely across federal departments to ensure that federal actions on mental health and addictions, homelessness and housing, poverty, and reconciliation are coordinated and synergistic. We are also committed to engaging collaboratively with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and other stakeholders to advance whole-of-society approaches to these issues.The Government of Canada is also working closely with provinces and territories to change the way our healthcare system delivers mental health and substance use services to Canadians. It is important for Canadians to have timely access to trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, quality mental health and substance use services that meet their needs, including underserved and equity-deserving individuals. That is why, on February 7, 2023, the Prime Minister announced that the federal government will invest $198.6 billion over ten years to bolster the health care system, notably: top-ups to the Canada Health Transfer to address immediate health care pressures; and $25 billion over 10 years to support shared health priorities through tailored bilateral agreements.In response to substance use harms and the opioid overdose crisis, the Government of Canada is regularly consulting with stakeholders and has convened several expert advisory groups, including people directly impacted by substance use. The Government regularly engages with PWLLE and organizations that represent them, including; regular bi-lateral meetings with key organizations; participation on projects teams; facilitating PWLLE engagement in government and ministerial events and meaningful consultations in order to better understand their perspectives of substance use; and, on-the- ground realities (e.g., roundtables, Knowledge Exchange Series, etc.).Health Canada established the PWLLE Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners.The Government of Canada continues collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, researchers, people with lived and living experience, stakeholders and partners such as community-based organizations to reduce the harms associated with substance use and providing people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need.Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of personal drug possession can, increase risks of overdose and other harms, increase barriers to care and perpetuate stigma. Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The federal government is committed to using every tool at its disposal and examining all evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and toward supportive and trusted relationships in health services and social supports, when needed. For example, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose.Furthermore, Bill C-5, which received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022, made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Among other measures, the amendments encourage police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures – including diverting individuals to treatment programs – instead of laying a criminal charge or prosecuting individuals for personal drug possession. These amendments also repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the CDSA to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use. These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada directing prosecutors that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.In May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health granted a time-limited exemption under the CDSA so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, where appropriate, individuals may be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they could also receive assistance to connect with those services. British Columbia requested this exemption, and it is an additional way that the federal government is supporting the province’s comprehensive approach to the overdose crisis. This time-limited exemption will be supported by rigorous monitoring and a third-party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes. The results will help inform Canada’s comprehensive approach to addressing substance use harms. We have also received a request from Toronto Public Health, and we are working in close partnership to ensure both public health and public safety considerations are included. We will continue to work with willing jurisdictions to use all the tools at our disposal, including approaches related to decriminalization, to respond to this crisis.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the toxic drug and overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abusePublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledJune 5, 2023441-01322441-01322 (Health)RachelBlaneyNorth Island—Powell RiverNDPBCApril 21, 2023June 5, 2023November 30, 2022PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLEDWe, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled to the following:Whereas:Over 29,000 Canadians have died due to apparent opioid toxicity between January 2016 and December 2021. Those who have died as a result of the preventable drug toxicity crisis were loved and valued citizens of this country: our children, siblings, spouses, parents, family members, clients, friends; andCanada's current drug policies have proven to be ineffective in the prevention of substance use and exacerbate substance use harms and risks. The "war on drugs" has resulted in widespread stigma towards those who use controlled substances. The "war on drugs" has allowed organized crime to be the sole provider of most controlled substances. Problematic substance use is a health issue and that cannot be resolved through criminalizing personal possession and consumption. Decriminalization of personal possession is associated with significantly reducing drug toxicity deaths in the countries that have adopted progressive drug policy reforms.Therefore, we, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:1. Reform drug policy to decriminalize simple possession of drugs listed in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act;2. Provide a path for expungement of conviction records for those convicted of simple possession; and3. With urgency, implement a health-based National Strategy for providing access to a regulated safer supply of drugs and expand trauma-informed treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services, and public education and awareness campaigns throughout Canada.
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Parliamentary Secretary Gary Anandasangaree1. Bill C-5, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, received Royal Assent and came into force on November 17, 2022. The Bill aims to ensure that responses to criminal offences are fair and effective, while ensuring that public safety is maintained. The amendments to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) reinforce the Government’s commitment to address the ongoing opioid crisis by providing space to treat substance use as a health issue, rather than as a criminal one. The law now requires police and prosecutors to consider options  such as issuing a warning, or divert people to treatment programs or other supportive services instead of proceeding with charges for simple drug possession, and enacts for the first time in the CDSA a declaration of principles to guide them in exercising discretion.2. Bill C-5 further addresses the stigma associated with having a criminal record by: (1) limiting the kind of information that may be kept in the police record of warning or referrals and the use that can be made of such records, as well as to whom these records may be disclosed; and, (2) providing that past and future records of convictions for this offence be kept separate and apart from other records of convictions after a certain period of time.3. The 2018 Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act provides that the Governor in Council may list an offence as eligible for expungement if the activity no longer constitutes an offence, and the criminalization of the activity was a historical injustice. Bill C-5 did not repeal the offence of simple drug possession.
Response by the Minister of Public SafetySigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): PAM DAMOFF, M.P.The Government continues to deliver on its promise to work toward removing the stigma associated with convictions for simple possession of drugs.Expungement is intended for cases where the criminalization of an activity constitutes a historical injustice because, among other things, were it to occur today, it would be inconsistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Expungement was not intended to address changing societal norms, such as the legalization of cannabis or health and social issues such as the ongoing opioid crisis.However, originally introduced in Parliament on December 7, 2021, Bill C-5, an Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), was amended in September 2022 to address concerns about the ongoing stigma associated with a record of convictions for simple possession of drugs. It now specifies that past convictions under section 4(1) of the CDSA for possession of controlled drugs must be kept separate and apart from other criminal convictions within two years of the Bill’s coming into force. For convictions after the coming into force, the record of conviction must be kept separate and apart from other criminal convictions two years following sentence completion. This amendment is consistent with the underlying objective of the Bill to address the negative consequences associated with simple possession. The amendment acknowledges the calls from public health organizations and those who work with individuals with addictions. It helps address barriers to successful reintegration into society and also helps address a contributing cause of the ongoing opioid crisis, namely the stigmatization of people who use drugs. Bill C-5 received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022.Criminal records have a lasting impact on the ability of rehabilitated individuals to successfully reintegrate into society after overcoming personal challenges in their lives. Treating simple possession of drugs as a health and social issue means eliminating the stigma associated with convictions for simple possession.Public Safety Canada continues to work with other departments, including Health Canada and the Department of Justice, to support the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy, and address the national drug crisis as part of its mandate to keep cities and communities safe.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe toxic drug and overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the crisis has only become more complex due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services due to COVID-related health measures (such as social distancing requirements, isolation requirements, etc.) and staff shortages, such as life-saving harm reduction, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other partners, including researchers, advocates and people with lived and living experience (PWLLE), to ensure that people who use drugs can continue to access the treatment, harm reduction and other services they need.The Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis as a health issue and is working with partners across all provinces and territories to save lives.The Government of Canada recognizes that substance use is a public health issue, not an issue for the criminal justice system. We are committed to a public health approach to address the crisis. Canada’s approach to substance use issues 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2017, the federal government has taken significant actions and made commitments of more than $1 billion to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. Recent examples of key federal investments in this area include:
  • Close to $500 million through the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) since 2017 in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide direct services in a COVID-19 context and to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services; and,
  • $45 million to develop national standards for mental health and substance use services, in collaboration with provinces and territories, health organizations and key stakeholders, to address long-standing challenges in the delivery of mental health and substance use services and supports across the country; and,
  • $22.8 million in public education through national and targeted advertising, partnerships and experiential marketing on the risks of opioids, overdose awareness, harm reduction and stigma awareness and reduction.
Budget 2023 proposes to provide a total of $359.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $5.7 million ongoing and $1.3 million in remaining amortization, to support a renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy, which would guide the government's work to save lives and protect the health and safety of Canadians. This includes:
  • $144 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Health Canada for the Substance Use and Addictions Program to fund community-based supports, including safer supply, supervised consumption sites, and other evidence-based health interventions;
  • $20.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada for a new community-based program to prevent substance use among young people; 
  • $73.9 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $4.6 million ongoing, to Health Canada to streamline authorizations for supervised consumption sites and drug checking services, scale-up access to safer supply, and evaluate innovative approaches;
  • $50.8 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $1.1 million ongoing and $1.3 million in remaining amortization, to Health Canada; and $16 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support vital data collection on substance-related harms and lab-based analysis of the illegal drug supply;
  • $4.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Safety Canada to develop an overdose monitoring app for paramedics and other first responders; and,
  • $42 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; $6.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Services and Procurement Canada; and $1.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, sourced from existing resources, to Global Affairs Canada to take further action to work with our partners to tackle drug trafficking and stem the global flow of these devastating substances.
Of note, under SUAP, more than $26 million has been allocated to fund Naloxone distribution, education and training. In addition, the Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply – a practice often referred to as safer supply. As of May 2023, Health Canada has supported 31 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through SUAP representing total funding commitments of over $100 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects, and a National Safer Supply Community of Practice to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders.Health Canada has supported the rapid expansion of supervised consumption services across Canada. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved supervised consumption sites offering services has grown from 1 to 40. Health Canada also proactively issued exemptions that allows provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing supervised consumption sites, shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Urgent Public Health Need Sites, unlike supervised consumption sites, are temporary locations that can be set up rapidly to address the overdose crisis. Both share the goal of reducing overdose deaths.We have also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to medications used in drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption authorized to a group of people, such as pharmacists, to conduct specific activities with controlled substances) to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving injectable diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder; as well facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of methadone and diacetylmorphine; and  
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
The Government recognizes that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. We continue to work closely across federal departments to ensure that federal actions on mental health and addictions, homelessness and housing, poverty, and reconciliation are coordinated and synergistic. We are also committed to engaging collaboratively with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and other stakeholders to advance whole-of-society approaches to these issues.The Government of Canada is also working closely with provinces and territories to change the way our healthcare system delivers mental health and substance use services to Canadians. It is important for Canadians to have timely access to trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, quality mental health and substance use services that meet their needs, including underserved and equity-deserving individuals. That is why, on February 7, 2023, the Prime Minister announced that the federal government will invest $198.6 billion over ten years to bolster the health care system, notably: top-ups to the Canada Health Transfer to address immediate health care pressures; and $25 billion over 10 years to support shared health priorities through tailored bilateral agreements.In response to substance use harms and the opioid overdose crisis, the Government of Canada is regularly consulting with stakeholders and has convened several expert advisory groups, including people directly impacted by substance use. The Government regularly engages with PWLLE and organizations that represent them, including; regular bi-lateral meetings with key organizations; participation on projects teams; facilitating PWLLE engagement in government and ministerial events and meaningful consultations in order to better understand their perspectives of substance use; and, on-the- ground realities (e.g., roundtables, Knowledge Exchange Series, etc.).Health Canada established the PWLLE Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners.The Government of Canada continues collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, researchers, people with lived and living experience, stakeholders and partners such as community-based organizations to reduce the harms associated with substance use and providing people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need.Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of personal drug possession can, increase risks of overdose and other harms, increase barriers to care and perpetuate stigma. Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The federal government is committed to using every tool at its disposal and examining all evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and toward supportive and trusted relationships in health services and social supports, when needed. For example, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose.Furthermore, Bill C-5, which received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022, made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Among other measures, the amendments encourage police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures – including diverting individuals to treatment programs – instead of laying a criminal charge or prosecuting individuals for personal drug possession. These amendments also repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the CDSA to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use. These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada directing prosecutors that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.In May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health granted a time-limited exemption under the CDSA so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, where appropriate, individuals may be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they could also receive assistance to connect with those services. British Columbia requested this exemption, and it is an additional way that the federal government is supporting the province’s comprehensive approach to the overdose crisis. This time-limited exemption will be supported by rigorous monitoring and a third-party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes. The results will help inform Canada’s comprehensive approach to addressing substance use harms. We have also received a request from Toronto Public Health, and we are working in close partnership to ensure both public health and public safety considerations are included. We will continue to work with willing jurisdictions to use all the tools at our disposal, including approaches related to decriminalization, to respond to this crisis.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the toxic drug and overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abusePublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledJune 1, 2023441-01298441-01298 (Health)GordJohnsCourtenay—AlberniNDPBCApril 18, 2023June 1, 2023March 7, 2023Petition to the Government of Canada Whereas:Opioid crisis is one of the most deadly public health emergencies of our lifetime, with approximately 21 deaths every day and an overall death toll of 30,843 in the past six and one quarter years (January 2016 to March 2022); andThe overdose crisis rages.We, the undersigned, call upon the Government of Canada to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency and:Take steps to end overdose deaths and overdose injuries;Immediately collaborate with provinces and territories to develop a comprehensive, pan-Canadian overdose action plan;Ensure that any plan considers reforms that other countries have used, such as legal regulation of drugs to ensure safe supply, decriminalization for personal use, and changes to flawed drug policy and policing; andEnsure this emergency is taken seriously with adequately funded programming and supports.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe toxic drug and overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the crisis has only become more complex due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services due to COVID-related health measures (such as social distancing requirements, isolation requirements, etc.) and staff shortages, such as life-saving harm reduction, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other partners, including researchers, advocates and people with lived and living experience (PWLLE), to ensure that people who use drugs can continue to access the treatment, harm reduction and other services they need.The Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis as a health issue and is working with partners across all provinces and territories to save lives. Provinces and territories have a range of tools and authorities to address the ongoing overdose crisis in their respective jurisdictions. For example, provinces and territories fund and deliver the majority of direct social and health interventions, such as naloxone distribution and supervised consumption sites, which are shown to effectively reduce overdoses deaths and harms. Provinces, territories and municipalities also have the power to declare a public health emergency in response to a significant increase in overdose-related deaths, as was the case for British Columbia in April 2016 and Alberta declaring a public health crisis in May 2017. More recently, Yukon declared a substance use health emergency in January 2022. The declaration of a provincial and territorial public health emergency allows a provincial and territorial government to access and exercise extraordinary powers to address a crisis. In addition to provincial and territorial emergency declarations, some First Nations communities have also declared emergencies in response to rising substance use-related harms and deaths, including Ehattesaht First Nation in British Columbia, and O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation in Manitoba.The Emergencies Act is not an appropriate mechanism to address the ongoing overdose crisis, which requires a longer-term, sustained, and multi-jurisdictional effort to address the complex, interrelated health, social and economic factors driving opioid-related deaths and harms. At the federal level, we have taken action by: reducing legislative and regulatory barriers; developing new prescription guidelines and marketing restrictions; launching a public awareness campaign; improving the knowledge base; supporting treatment, safer supply and harm reduction initiatives across Canada; working with domestic and international partners to reduce the illegal drug supply; and, providing emergency funding to provinces and territories.The Government of Canada recognizes that substance use is a public health issue, not an issue for the criminal justice system. We are committed to a public health approach to address the crisis. Canada’s approach to substance use issues 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2017, the federal government has taken significant actions and made commitments of more than $800 million to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. Recent examples of key federal investments in this area include:
  • Nearly $350 million to the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) between 2017-2022 in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide direct services in a COVID-19 context and to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services; and,
  • $22.8 million in public education through national and targeted advertising, partnerships and experiential marketing on the risks of opioids, overdose awareness, harm reduction and stigma awareness and reduction.
Budget 2023 proposes to provide a total of $359.2over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $5.7 million ongoing and $1.3 million in remaining amortization to support a renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy, which would guide the government's work to save lives and protect the health and safety of Canadians. This includes:
  • $144 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Health Canada for the SUAP to fund community-based supports, including safer supply, supervised consumption sites, and other evidence-based health interventions;
  • $20.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada for a new community-based program to prevent substance use among young people; 
  • $73.9 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $4.6 million ongoing, to Health Canada to streamline authorizations for supervised consumption sites and drug checking services, scale-up access to safer supply, and evaluate innovative approaches;
  • $50.8 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $1.1 million ongoing and $1.3 million in remaining amortization, to Health Canada; and $16 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support vital data collection on substance-related harms and lab-based analysis of the illegal drug supply;
  • $4.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Safety Canada to develop an overdose monitoring app for paramedics and other first responders; and,
  • $42 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; $6.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Services and Procurement Canada; and $1.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, sourced from existing resources, to Global Affairs Canada to take further action to work with our partners to tackle drug trafficking and stem the global flow of these devastating substances.
Of note, under SUAP, more than $24 million has been allocated to fund Naloxone distribution, education and training. In addition, through SUAP, the Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply – a practice often referred to as safer supply. As of April 2023, Health Canada has supported 31 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through the SUAP representing total funding commitments of over $100 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects, and a National Safer Supply Community of Practice to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders.Health Canada has supported the rapid expansion of supervised consumption services across Canada. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved supervised consumption sites (SCS) offering services grew from 1 to 40. Health Canada also proactively issued exemptions that allows provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing supervised consumption sites, shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Urgent Public Health Need Sites, unlike supervised consumption sites, are temporary locations that can be set up rapidly to address the overdose crisis. Both share the goal of reducing overdose deaths.We have also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to medications used in drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption authorized to a group of people, such as pharmacists, to conduct specific activities with controlled substances) to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving injectable diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder; as well facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of methadone and diacetylmorphine; and  
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
The Government recognizes that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. We continue to work closely across federal departments to ensure that federal actions on mental health and addictions, homelessness and housing, poverty, and reconciliation are coordinated and synergistic. We are also committed to engaging collaboratively with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and other stakeholders to advance whole-of-society approaches to these issues.The Government of Canada is also working closely with provinces and territories to change the way our healthcare system delivers mental health and substance use services to Canadians. It is important for Canadians to have timely access to trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, quality mental health and substance use services that meet their needs, including underserved and equity-deserving individuals. That is why, on February 7, 2023, the Prime Minister announced that the federal government will invest $198.6 billion over ten years to bolster the health care system, notably: top-ups to the Canada Health Transfer to address immediate health care pressures; and $25 billion over 10 years to support shared health priorities through tailored bilateral agreements.In response to substance use harms and the opioid overdose crisis, the Government of Canada is regularly consulting with stakeholders and has convened several expert advisory groups, including people directly impacted by substance use. The Government regularly engages with PWLLE and organizations that represent them, including; regular bi-lateral meetings with key organizations; participation on projects teams; facilitating PWLLE engagement in government and ministerial events and meaningful consultations in order to better understand their perspectives of substance use; and, on-the- ground realities (e.g., roundtables, Knowledge Exchange Series, etc.).Health Canada established the PWLLE Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners.The Government of Canada continues collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, researchers, people with lived and living experience, stakeholders and partners such as community-based organizations to reduce the harms associated with substance use and providing people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need.Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of personal drug possession can, increase risks of overdose and other harms, increase barriers to care and perpetuate stigma. Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The federal government is committed to using every tool at its disposal and examining all evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and toward supportive and trusted relationships in health services and social supports, when needed. For example, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose.Furthermore, Bill C-5, which received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022, made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Among other measures, the amendments encourage police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures – including diverting individuals to treatment programs – instead of laying a criminal charge or prosecuting individuals for personal drug possession. These amendments also repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use. These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada directing prosecutors that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.In May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health granted a time-limited exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, where appropriate, individuals may be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they could also receive assistance to connect with those services. British Columbia requested this exemption, and it is an additional way that the federal government is supporting the province’s comprehensive approach to the overdose crisis. This time-limited exemption will be supported by rigorous monitoring and a third-party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes. The results will help inform Canada’s comprehensive approach to addressing substance use harms. We have also received a request from Toronto Public Health, and we are working in close partnership to ensure both public health and public safety considerations are included. We will continue to work with willing jurisdictions to use all the tools at our disposal, including approaches related to decriminalization, to respond to this crisis.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the toxic drug and overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
Drug use and abuseHealth emergenciesOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledMay 15, 2023441-01287441-01287 (Health)CherylGallantRenfrew—Nipissing—PembrokeConservativeONMarch 31, 2023May 15, 2023March 23, 2022PETITION TO THE PRIME MINISTERWhereas:
  • Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canada's Bill of Rights, and Canada's history of sacrifice in defence of liberty, demand we respect and uphold the conscience rights of all Canadians; and
  • The Prime Minister has encouraged hatred and contempt towards individuals exercising their constitutionally protected conscience rights.
Therefore, we, the undersigned citizens of Canada, call upon the Prime Minister to:1- End pandemic mandates on the members of our Public Service, the Canadian Armed Forces personnel, all contractors subject to the federal mandates, and all federally regulated workers; and 2- Lift border restrictions related to the pandemic for all Canadians, including ceasing the covid testing required of Canadians upon returning to Canada.
Response by the President of the Treasury Board Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Greg FergusThe Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was implemented in the fall of 2021 when vaccination provided a high degree of protection against infection and transmission of COVID-19 viruses. This approach served as an effective public health measure to protect public servants and the communities they worked in.  All employees have had access to Public Health Agency of Canada/Health Canada information about vaccines and how they work so they could understand how vaccination helps protect them and their workplaces against COVID-19.The Policy is compliant with legislation, including the Privacy Act, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and collective agreements. On October 21, 2021, the Canadian Human Rights Commission published a guide on vaccination policies and human rights, which states that “Rights are not absolute. […] Requiring that an individual be vaccinated to work or travel is not a discriminatory practice under the Canadian Human Rights Act. Vaccination requirements are not a discriminatory practice because they are intended (and are necessary) to protect public health and safety.” The Policy provides for addressing requests for accommodation based on any prohibited ground of discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act, on a case-by-case basis.Based on the evolving nature of the pandemic and the scientific data, the Government of Canada announced on June 14th, 2022 that it would suspend vaccination requirements for federal government employees, and effective June 20, 2022, employees of the core public administration would no longer be required to be vaccinated as a condition of employment. Consequently, employees who had been placed on administrative leave without pay as per the Policy, could be reinstated as early as June 20, 2022.The decision to suspend the Policy is based on the latest scientific evidence related to vaccine effectiveness against transmission and infection with evolving COVID-19 variants. Suspending the Policy allows the Government to easily reinstate it as needed, based on science and public health risk, in the future. 
Response by the Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Adam Van KoeverdenThroughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada has taken a comprehensive, layered approach to border management, with measures informed by available data, operational considerations, scientific evidence, and monitoring of the epidemiological situation and pandemic response capacity both in Canada and internationally.A number of factors supported lifting Canada’s COVID-19 border measures and travel requirements. These included increased immunity within the Canadian population, lower hospitalization and death rates, high vaccination rates, as well as the availability of vaccines (including bivalent formulation), rapid tests and treatments.As of October 1, 2022, all travellers arriving in Canada are no longer required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter Canada or meet COVID-19 testing, quarantine or isolation requirements. All travellers no longer have to submit their public health information through ArriveCAN, undergo health checks for travel on air and rail or wear masks on planes and trains.However, the Government of Canada encourages individuals to remain up to date with the recommended vaccinations, including booster doses when eligible. While not mandatory, all travellers are strongly recommended to wear well-constructed and well-fitted masks during their travel on planes and in airports, or other crowded indoor settings. Individuals are reminded that they should not travel if they have symptoms of COVID-19. If travellers become sick while travelling, and are still sick when they arrive in Canada, they should inform a flight attendant or a border services officer upon arrival.The Government of Canada continues to work with international partners to enhance genomic sequencing capacity, and closely monitors the global epidemiology of COVID-19 and new variants of concerns. The Government of Canada will not hesitate to put in place additional protective measures for the health and safety of people in Canada should it be required.
Response by the Minister of Public Services and ProcurementSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Anthony HousefatherOn June 14, 2022, the Government of Canada announced the suspension of mandatory vaccination for federal employees effective June 20, 2022. In alignment with this measure, the Government of Canada also suspended the COVID-19 Vaccination Policy for Supplier Personnel.This means that as of June 20, 2022, and until further notice, the vaccination requirements of the policy are no longer in effect.Please note that Supplier Personnel may still be required to comply with site-specific workplace health and safety measures that have been put in place by federal departments and agencies separately from the policy.Canada reserves the right to reinstate the policy in the future in alignment with public health guidelines and any vaccination requirements for the public service.
Response by the Minister of National DefenceSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Bryan MayProtecting the health and safety of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel is critical to maintaining the CAF’s readiness to deliver on Government of Canada missions at home and around the world.COVID-19 vaccine requirements are one of the many public health measures within our broader layered risk mitigation strategy that the CAF continues to assess. These measures have enabled the CAF to carry out operations at home and abroad, including the Whole of Government pandemic response.As the pandemic has evolved, so too have force protection measures. In October 2022, the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) amended the directive on CAF COVID-19 vaccination. Since then, the requirement to have the COVID-19 vaccine has been guided by operational readiness and effectiveness. It will be required for employment in certain positions and on certain operations where it is assessed that the greatest reduction of risk is warranted to maintain operational readiness. These requirements will focus on those high-readiness, deployable, or core missions or tasks where an illness would create risk to an individual or the mission.Further information about the CDS’ vaccination can be found at the following link: CDS Directive 003 on CAF COVID-19 Vaccination for Operations and Readiness.
BordersCOVID-19Federally regulated employers and employeesPandemicPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledMay 15, 2023441-01286441-01286 (Health)CherylGallantRenfrew—Nipissing—PembrokeConservativeONMarch 31, 2023May 15, 2023March 2, 2022PETITION TO THE PRIME MINISTERWhereas:
  • Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canada's Bill of Rights, and Canada's history of sacrifice in defence of liberty, demand we respect and uphold the conscience rights of all Canadians; and
  • The Prime Minister has encouraged hatred and contempt towards individuals exercising their constitutionally protected conscience rights.
Therefore, we, the undersigned citizens of Canada, call upon the Prime Minister to:1- End pandemic mandates on the members of our Public Service, the Canadian Armed Forces personnel, all contractors subject to the federal mandates, and all federally regulated workers; and 2- Lift border restrictions related to the pandemic for all Canadians, including ceasing the covid testing required of Canadians upon returning to Canada.
Response by the President of the Treasury Board Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Greg FergusThe Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was implemented in the fall of 2021 when vaccination provided a high degree of protection against infection and transmission of COVID-19 viruses. This approach served as an effective public health measure to protect public servants and the communities they worked in.  All employees have had access to Public Health Agency of Canada/Health Canada information about vaccines and how they work so they could understand how vaccination helps protect them and their workplaces against COVID-19.The Policy is compliant with legislation, including the Privacy Act, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and collective agreements. On October 21, 2021, the Canadian Human Rights Commission published a guide on vaccination policies and human rights, which states that “Rights are not absolute. […] Requiring that an individual be vaccinated to work or travel is not a discriminatory practice under the Canadian Human Rights Act. Vaccination requirements are not a discriminatory practice because they are intended (and are necessary) to protect public health and safety.” The Policy provides for addressing requests for accommodation based on any prohibited ground of discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act, on a case-by-case basis.Based on the evolving nature of the pandemic and the scientific data, the Government of Canada announced on June 14th, 2022 that it would suspend vaccination requirements for federal government employees, and effective June 20, 2022, employees of the core public administration would no longer be required to be vaccinated as a condition of employment. Consequently, employees who had been placed on administrative leave without pay as per the Policy, could be reinstated as early as June 20, 2022.The decision to suspend the Policy is based on the latest scientific evidence related to vaccine effectiveness against transmission and infection with evolving COVID-19 variants. Suspending the Policy allows the Government to easily reinstate it as needed, based on science and public health risk, in the future. 
Response by the Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Adam Van KoeverdenThroughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada has taken a comprehensive, layered approach to border management, with measures informed by available data, operational considerations, scientific evidence, and monitoring of the epidemiological situation and pandemic response capacity both in Canada and internationally.A number of factors supported lifting Canada’s COVID-19 border measures and travel requirements. These included increased immunity within the Canadian population, lower hospitalization and death rates, high vaccination rates, as well as the availability of vaccines (including bivalent formulation), rapid tests and treatments.As of October 1, 2022, all travellers arriving in Canada are no longer required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter Canada or meet COVID-19 testing, quarantine or isolation requirements. All travellers no longer have to submit their public health information through ArriveCAN, undergo health checks for travel on air and rail or wear masks on planes and trains.However, the Government of Canada encourages individuals to remain up to date with the recommended vaccinations, including booster doses when eligible. While not mandatory, all travellers are strongly recommended to wear well-constructed and well-fitted masks during their travel on planes and in airports, or other crowded indoor settings. Individuals are reminded that they should not travel if they have symptoms of COVID-19. If travellers become sick while travelling, and are still sick when they arrive in Canada, they should inform a flight attendant or a border services officer upon arrival.The Government of Canada continues to work with international partners to enhance genomic sequencing capacity, and closely monitors the global epidemiology of COVID-19 and new variants of concerns. The Government of Canada will not hesitate to put in place additional protective measures for the health and safety of people in Canada should it be required.
Response by the Minister of Public Services and ProcurementSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Anthony HousefatherOn June 14, 2022, the Government of Canada announced the suspension of mandatory vaccination for federal employees effective June 20, 2022. In alignment with this measure, the Government of Canada also suspended the COVID-19 Vaccination Policy for Supplier Personnel.This means that as of June 20, 2022, and until further notice, the vaccination requirements of the policy are no longer in effect.Please note that Supplier Personnel may still be required to comply with site-specific workplace health and safety measures that have been put in place by federal departments and agencies separately from the policy.Canada reserves the right to reinstate the policy in the future in alignment with public health guidelines and any vaccination requirements for the public service.
Response by the Minister of National DefenceSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Bryan MayProtecting the health and safety of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel is critical to maintaining the CAF’s readiness to deliver on Government of Canada missions at home and around the world.COVID-19 vaccine requirements are one of the many public health measures within our broader layered risk mitigation strategy that the CAF continues to assess. These measures have enabled the CAF to carry out operations at home and abroad, including the Whole of Government pandemic response.As the pandemic has evolved, so too have force protection measures. In October 2022, the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) amended the directive on CAF COVID-19 vaccination. Since then, the requirement to have the COVID-19 vaccine has been guided by operational readiness and effectiveness. It will be required for employment in certain positions and on certain operations where it is assessed that the greatest reduction of risk is warranted to maintain operational readiness. These requirements will focus on those high-readiness, deployable, or core missions or tasks where an illness would create risk to an individual or the mission.Further information about the CDS’ vaccination can be found at the following link: CDS Directive 003 on CAF COVID-19 Vaccination for Operations and Readiness.
BordersCOVID-19Federally regulated employers and employeesPandemicPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledMay 15, 2023441-01285441-01285 (Health)CherylGallantRenfrew—Nipissing—PembrokeConservativeONMarch 31, 2023May 15, 2023March 23, 2022PETITION TO THE PRIME MINISTERWhereas:
  • Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canada's Bill of Rights, and Canada's history of sacrifice in defence of liberty, demand we respect and uphold the conscience rights of all Canadians; and
  • The Prime Minister has encouraged hatred and contempt towards individuals exercising their constitutionally protected conscience rights.
Therefore, we, the undersigned citizens of Canada, call upon the Prime Minister to:1- End pandemic mandates on the members of our Public Service, the Canadian Armed Forces personnel, all contractors subject to the federal mandates, and all federally regulated workers; and 2- Lift border restrictions related to the pandemic for all Canadians, including ceasing the covid testing required of Canadians upon returning to Canada.
Response by the President of the Treasury Board Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Greg FergusThe Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was implemented in the fall of 2021 when vaccination provided a high degree of protection against infection and transmission of COVID-19 viruses. This approach served as an effective public health measure to protect public servants and the communities they worked in.  All employees have had access to Public Health Agency of Canada/Health Canada information about vaccines and how they work so they could understand how vaccination helps protect them and their workplaces against COVID-19.The Policy is compliant with legislation, including the Privacy Act, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and collective agreements. On October 21, 2021, the Canadian Human Rights Commission published a guide on vaccination policies and human rights, which states that “Rights are not absolute. […] Requiring that an individual be vaccinated to work or travel is not a discriminatory practice under the Canadian Human Rights Act. Vaccination requirements are not a discriminatory practice because they are intended (and are necessary) to protect public health and safety.” The Policy provides for addressing requests for accommodation based on any prohibited ground of discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act, on a case-by-case basis.Based on the evolving nature of the pandemic and the scientific data, the Government of Canada announced on June 14th, 2022 that it would suspend vaccination requirements for federal government employees, and effective June 20, 2022, employees of the core public administration would no longer be required to be vaccinated as a condition of employment. Consequently, employees who had been placed on administrative leave without pay as per the Policy, could be reinstated as early as June 20, 2022.The decision to suspend the Policy is based on the latest scientific evidence related to vaccine effectiveness against transmission and infection with evolving COVID-19 variants. Suspending the Policy allows the Government to easily reinstate it as needed, based on science and public health risk, in the future. 
Response by the Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Adam Van KoeverdenThroughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada has taken a comprehensive, layered approach to border management, with measures informed by available data, operational considerations, scientific evidence, and monitoring of the epidemiological situation and pandemic response capacity both in Canada and internationally.A number of factors supported lifting Canada’s COVID-19 border measures and travel requirements. These included increased immunity within the Canadian population, lower hospitalization and death rates, high vaccination rates, as well as the availability of vaccines (including bivalent formulation), rapid tests and treatments.As of October 1, 2022, all travellers arriving in Canada are no longer required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter Canada or meet COVID-19 testing, quarantine or isolation requirements. All travellers no longer have to submit their public health information through ArriveCAN, undergo health checks for travel on air and rail or wear masks on planes and trains.However, the Government of Canada encourages individuals to remain up to date with the recommended vaccinations, including booster doses when eligible. While not mandatory, all travellers are strongly recommended to wear well-constructed and well-fitted masks during their travel on planes and in airports, or other crowded indoor settings. Individuals are reminded that they should not travel if they have symptoms of COVID-19. If travellers become sick while travelling, and are still sick when they arrive in Canada, they should inform a flight attendant or a border services officer upon arrival.The Government of Canada continues to work with international partners to enhance genomic sequencing capacity, and closely monitors the global epidemiology of COVID-19 and new variants of concerns. The Government of Canada will not hesitate to put in place additional protective measures for the health and safety of people in Canada should it be required.
Response by the Minister of Public Services and ProcurementSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Anthony HousefatherOn June 14, 2022, the Government of Canada announced the suspension of mandatory vaccination for federal employees effective June 20, 2022. In alignment with this measure, the Government of Canada also suspended the COVID-19 Vaccination Policy for Supplier Personnel.This means that as of June 20, 2022, and until further notice, the vaccination requirements of the policy are no longer in effect.Please note that Supplier Personnel may still be required to comply with site-specific workplace health and safety measures that have been put in place by federal departments and agencies separately from the policy.Canada reserves the right to reinstate the policy in the future in alignment with public health guidelines and any vaccination requirements for the public service.
Response by the Minister of National DefenceSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Bryan MayProtecting the health and safety of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel is critical to maintaining the CAF’s readiness to deliver on Government of Canada missions at home and around the world.COVID-19 vaccine requirements are one of the many public health measures within our broader layered risk mitigation strategy that the CAF continues to assess. These measures have enabled the CAF to carry out operations at home and abroad, including the Whole of Government pandemic response.As the pandemic has evolved, so too have force protection measures. In October 2022, the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) amended the directive on CAF COVID-19 vaccination. Since then, the requirement to have the COVID-19 vaccine has been guided by operational readiness and effectiveness. It will be required for employment in certain positions and on certain operations where it is assessed that the greatest reduction of risk is warranted to maintain operational readiness. These requirements will focus on those high-readiness, deployable, or core missions or tasks where an illness would create risk to an individual or the mission.Further information about the CDS’ vaccination can be found at the following link: CDS Directive 003 on CAF COVID-19 Vaccination for Operations and Readiness.
BordersCOVID-19Federally regulated employers and employeesPandemicPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledMay 15, 2023441-01272441-01272 (Health)BlakeDesjarlaisEdmonton GriesbachNDPABMarch 31, 2023May 15, 2023March 20, 2023Petition to the Government of Canada Whereas:Opioid crisis is one of the most deadly public health emergencies of our lifetime, with approximately 21 deaths every day and an overall death toll of 30,843 in the past six and one quarter years (January 2016 to March 2022); andThe overdose crisis rages.We, the undersigned, call upon the Government of Canada to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency and:Take steps to end overdose deaths and overdose injuries;Immediately collaborate with provinces and territories to develop a comprehensive, pan-Canadian overdose action plan;Ensure that any plan considers reforms that other countries have used, such as legal regulation of drugs to ensure safe supply, decriminalization for personal use, and changes to flawed drug policy and policing; andEnsure this emergency is taken seriously with adequately funded programming and supports.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe toxic drug and overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the crisis has only become more complex due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services due to COVID-related health measures (such as social distancing requirements, isolation requirements, etc.) and staff shortages, such as life-saving harm reduction, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other partners, including researchers, advocates and people with lived and living experience (PWLLE), to ensure that people who use drugs can continue to access the treatment, harm reduction and other services they need.The Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis as a health issue and is working with partners across all provinces and territories to save lives. Provinces and territories have a range of tools and authorities to address the ongoing overdose crisis in their respective jurisdictions. For example, provinces and territories fund and deliver the majority of direct social and health interventions, such as naloxone distribution and supervised consumption sites, which are shown to effectively reduce overdoses deaths and harms. Provinces, territories and municipalities also have the power to declare a public health emergency in response to a significant increase in overdose-related deaths, as was the case for British Columbia in April 2016 and Alberta declaring a public health crisis in May 2017. More recently, Yukon declared a substance use health emergency in January 2022. The declaration of a provincial and territorial public health emergency allows a provincial and territorial government to access and exercise extraordinary powers to address a crisis. In addition to provincial and territorial emergency declarations, some First Nations communities have also declared emergencies in response to rising substance use-related harms and deaths, including Ehattesaht First Nation in British Columbia, and O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation in Manitoba.The Emergencies Act is not an appropriate mechanism to address the ongoing overdose crisis, which requires a longer-term, sustained, and multi-jurisdictional effort to address the complex, interrelated health, social and economic factors driving opioid-related deaths and harms. At the federal level, we have taken action by: reducing legislative and regulatory barriers; developing new prescription guidelines and marketing restrictions; launching a public awareness campaign; improving the knowledge base; supporting treatment, safer supply and harm reduction initiatives across Canada; working with domestic and international partners to reduce the illegal drug supply; and, providing emergency funding to provinces and territories.The Government of Canada recognizes that substance use is a public health issue, not an issue for the criminal justice system. We are committed to a public health approach to address the crisis. Canada’s approach to substance use issues 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2017, the federal government has taken significant actions and made commitments of more than $800 million to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. Recent examples of key federal investments in this area include:
  • Nearly $350 million to the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) between 2017-2022 in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide direct services in a COVID-19 context and to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services; and,
  • $22.8 million in public education through national and targeted advertising, partnerships and experiential marketing on the risks of opioids, overdose awareness, harm reduction and stigma awareness and reduction.
Budget 2023 proposes to provide a total of $359.2 $1.3 million in remaining amortization to support a renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy, which would guide the government's work to save lives and protect the health and safety of Canadians. This includes:
  • $144 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Health Canada for the SUAP to fund community-based supports, including safer supply, supervised consumption sites, and other evidence-based health interventions;
  • $20.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada for a new community-based program to prevent substance use among young people; 
  • $73.9 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $4.6 million ongoing, to Health Canada to streamline authorizations for supervised consumption sites and drug checking services, scale-up access to safer supply, and evaluate innovative approaches;
  • $50.8 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $1.1 million ongoing and $1.3 million in remaining amortization, to Health Canada; and $16 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support vital data collection on substance-related harms and lab-based analysis of the illegal drug supply;
  • $4.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Safety Canada to develop an overdose monitoring app for paramedics and other first responders; and,
  • $42 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; $6.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Services and Procurement Canada; and $1.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, sourced from existing resources, to Global Affairs Canada to take further action to work with our partners to tackle drug trafficking and stem the global flow of these devastating substances.
Of note, under SUAP, more than $24 million has been allocated to fund Naloxone distribution, education and training. In addition, through SUAP, the Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply – a practice often referred to as safer supply. As of April 2023, Health Canada has supported 31 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through the SUAP representing total funding commitments of over $100 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects, and a National Safer Supply Community of Practice to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders.Health Canada has supported the rapid expansion of supervised consumption services across Canada. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved supervised consumption sites (SCS) offering services grew from 1 to 40. Health Canada also proactively issued exemptions that allows provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing supervised consumption sites, shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Urgent Public Health Need Sites, unlike supervised consumption sites, are temporary locations that can be set up rapidly to address the overdose crisis. Both share the goal of reducing overdose deaths.We have also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to medications used in drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption authorized to a group of people, such as pharmacists, to conduct specific activities with controlled substances) to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving injectable diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder; as well facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of methadone and diacetylmorphine; and  
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
The Government recognizes that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. We continue to work closely across federal departments to ensure that federal actions on mental health and addictions, homelessness and housing, poverty, and reconciliation are coordinated and synergistic. We are also committed to engaging collaboratively with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and other stakeholders to advance whole-of-society approaches to these issues.The Government of Canada is also working closely with provinces and territories to change the way our healthcare system delivers mental health and substance use services to Canadians. It is important for Canadians to have timely access to trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, quality mental health and substance use services that meet their needs, including underserved and equity-deserving individuals. That is why, on February 7, 2023, the Prime Minister announced that the federal government will invest $198.6 billion over ten years to bolster the health care system, notably: top-ups to the Canada Health Transfer to address immediate health care pressures; and $25 billion over 10 years to support shared health priorities through tailored bilateral agreements.In response to substance use harms and the opioid overdose crisis, the Government of Canada is regularly consulting with stakeholders and has convened several expert advisory groups, including people directly impacted by substance use. The Government regularly engages with PWLLE and organizations that represent them, including; regular bi-lateral meetings with key organizations; participation on projects teams; facilitating PWLLE engagement in government and ministerial events and meaningful consultations in order to better understand their perspectives of substance use; and, on-the- ground realities (e.g., roundtables, Knowledge Exchange Series, etc.).Health Canada established the PWLLE Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners.The Government of Canada continues collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, researchers, people with lived and living experience, stakeholders and partners such as community-based organizations to reduce the harms associated with substance use and providing people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need.Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of personal drug possession can, increase risks of overdose and other harms, increase barriers to care and perpetuate stigma. Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The federal government is committed to using every tool at its disposal and examining all evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and toward supportive and trusted relationships in health services and social supports, when needed. For example, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose.Furthermore, Bill C-5, which received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022, made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Among other measures, the amendments encourage police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures – including diverting individuals to treatment programs – instead of laying a criminal charge or prosecuting individuals for personal drug possession. These amendments also repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use. These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada directing prosecutors that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.In May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health granted a time-limited exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, where appropriate, individuals may be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they could also receive assistance to connect with those services. British Columbia requested this exemption, and it is an additional way that the federal government is supporting the province’s comprehensive approach to the overdose crisis. This time-limited exemption will be supported by rigorous monitoring and a third-party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes. The results will help inform Canada’s comprehensive approach to addressing substance use harms. We have also received a request from Toronto Public Health, and we are working in close partnership to ensure both public health and public safety considerations are included. We will continue to work with willing jurisdictions to use all the tools at our disposal, including approaches related to decriminalization, to respond to this crisis.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the toxic drug and overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
Drug use and abuseHealth emergenciesOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledMay 3, 2023441-01186441-01186 (Health)ElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCMarch 20, 2023May 3, 2023November 18, 2022PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLEDWhereas:
  • The overdose crisis in Canada is a public health emergency, as has already been declared by British Columbia's Provincial Health Officer and several municipalities across Canada;
  • More than 13,900 individuals have died of opioid-related deaths and there have been 17,050 opioid-related poisoning hospitalizations in Canada since 2016;
  • There is disproportionate representation of Indigenous people affected by the overdose crisis; and
  • The Canadian Public Health Association, the Global Commission on Drug Policy, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations, have recommended drug decriminalization.
We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to:
  • Declare a public health emergency due to overdose deaths in Canada;
  • Reframe the overdose crisis in Canada as a health issue rather than a criminal issue;
  • Take a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to the overdose crisis, by addressing issues of addiction, poverty, housing, health care, racial discrimination, and economic inequality and instability;
  • Listen to and act on recommendations made by social workers, front-line workers, nurses, doctors, drug users, and individuals directly involved in the drug-using community; and
  • Decriminalize drugs in Canada.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe toxic drug and overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the crisis has only become more complex due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services due to COVID-related health measures (such as social distancing requirements, isolation requirements, etc.) and staff shortages, such as life-saving harm reduction, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other partners, including researchers, advocates and people with lived and living experience (PWLLE), to ensure that people who use drugs can continue to access the treatment, harm reduction and other services they need.The Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis as a health issue and is working with partners across all provinces and territories to save lives. Provinces and territories have a range of tools and authorities to address the ongoing overdose crisis in their respective jurisdictions. For example, provinces and territories fund and deliver the majority of direct social and health interventions, such as naloxone distribution and supervised consumption sites, which are shown to effectively reduce overdoses deaths and harms. Provinces, territories and municipalities also have the power to declare a public health emergency in response to a significant increase in overdose-related deaths, as was the case for British Columbia in April 2016 and Alberta declaring a public health crisis in May 2017. More recently, Yukon declared a substance use health emergency in January 2022. The declaration of a provincial and territorial public health emergency allows a provincial and territorial government to access and exercise extraordinary powers to address a crisis. In addition to provincial and territorial emergency declarations, some First Nations communities have also declared emergencies in response to rising substance use-related harms and deaths, including Ehattesaht First Nation in British Columbia, and O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation in Manitoba.The Emergencies Act is not an appropriate mechanism to address the ongoing overdose crisis, which requires a longer-term, sustained, and multi-jurisdictional effort to address the complex, interrelated health, social and economic factors driving opioid-related deaths and harms. At the federal level, we have taken action by: reducing legislative and regulatory barriers; developing new prescription guidelines and marketing restrictions; launching a public awareness campaign; improving the knowledge base; supporting treatment, safer supply and harm reduction initiatives across Canada; working with domestic and international partners to reduce the illegal drug supply; and, providing emergency funding to provinces and territories.The Government of Canada recognizes that substance use is a public health issue, not an issue for the criminal justice system. We are committed to a public health approach to address the crisis. Canada’s approach to substance use issues 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2017, the federal government has taken significant actions and made commitments of more than $800 million to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. Recent examples of key federal investments in this area include:
  • Nearly $350 million to the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) between 2017-2022 in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide direct services in a COVID-19 context and to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services; and,
  • $22.8 million in public education through national and targeted advertising, partnerships and experiential marketing on the risks of opioids, overdose awareness, harm reduction and stigma awareness and reduction.
Budget 2023 proposes to provide a total of $359.2 $1.3 million in remaining amortization to support a renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy, which would guide the government's work to save lives and protect the health and safety of Canadians. This includes:
  • $144 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Health Canada for the SUAP to fund community-based supports, including safer supply, supervised consumption sites, and other evidence-based health interventions;
  • $20.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada for a new community-based program to prevent substance use among young people; 
  • $73.9 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $4.6 million ongoing, to Health Canada to streamline authorizations for supervised consumption sites and drug checking services, scale-up access to safer supply, and evaluate innovative approaches;
  • $50.8 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $1.1 million ongoing and $1.3 million in remaining amortization, to Health Canada; and $16 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support vital data collection on substance-related harms and lab-based analysis of the illegal drug supply;
  • $4.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Safety Canada to develop an overdose monitoring app for paramedics and other first responders; and,
  • $42 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; $6.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Services and Procurement Canada; and $1.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, sourced from existing resources, to Global Affairs Canada to take further action to work with our partners to tackle drug trafficking and stem the global flow of these devastating substances.
Of note, under SUAP, more than $24 million has been allocated to fund Naloxone distribution, education and training. In addition, through SUAP, the Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply – a practice often referred to as safer supply. As of April 2023, Health Canada has supported 31 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through the SUAP representing total funding commitments of over $100 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects, and a National Safer Supply Community of Practice to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders.Health Canada has supported the rapid expansion of supervised consumption services across Canada. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved supervised consumption sites (SCS) offering services grew from 1 to 40. Health Canada also proactively issued exemptions that allows provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing supervised consumption sites, shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Urgent Public Health Need Sites, unlike supervised consumption sites, are temporary locations that can be set up rapidly to address the overdose crisis. Both share the goal of reducing overdose deaths.We have also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to medications used in drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption authorized to a group of people, such as pharmacists, to conduct specific activities with controlled substances) to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving injectable diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder; as well facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of methadone and diacetylmorphine; and  
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
The Government recognizes that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. We continue to work closely across federal departments to ensure that federal actions on mental health and addictions, homelessness and housing, poverty, and reconciliation are coordinated and synergistic. We are also committed to engaging collaboratively with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and other stakeholders to advance whole-of-society approaches to these issues.The Government of Canada is also working closely with provinces and territories to change the way our healthcare system delivers mental health and substance use services to Canadians. It is important for Canadians to have timely access to trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, quality mental health and substance use services that meet their needs, including underserved and equity-deserving individuals. That is why, on February 7, 2023, the Prime Minister announced that the federal government will invest $198.6 billion over ten years to bolster the health care system, notably: top-ups to the Canada Health Transfer to address immediate health care pressures; and $25 billion over 10 years to support shared health priorities through tailored bilateral agreements.In response to substance use harms and the opioid overdose crisis, the Government of Canada is regularly consulting with stakeholders and has convened several expert advisory groups, including people directly impacted by substance use. The Government regularly engages with PWLLE and organizations that represent them, including; regular bi-lateral meetings with key organizations; participation on projects teams; facilitating PWLLE engagement in government and ministerial events and meaningful consultations in order to better understand their perspectives of substance use; and, on-the- ground realities (e.g., roundtables, Knowledge Exchange Series, etc.).Health Canada established the PWLLE Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners.The Government of Canada continues collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, researchers, people with lived and living experience, stakeholders and partners such as community-based organizations to reduce the harms associated with substance use and providing people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need.Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of personal drug possession can, increase risks of overdose and other harms, increase barriers to care and perpetuate stigma. Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The federal government is committed to using every tool at its disposal and examining all evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and toward supportive and trusted relationships in health services and social supports, when needed. For example, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose.Furthermore, Bill C-5, which received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022, made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Among other measures, the amendments encourage police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures – including diverting individuals to treatment programs – instead of laying a criminal charge or prosecuting individuals for personal drug possession. These amendments also repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use. These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada directing prosecutors that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.In May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health granted a time-limited exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, where appropriate, individuals may be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they could also receive assistance to connect with those services. British Columbia requested this exemption, and it is an additional way that the federal government is supporting the province’s comprehensive approach to the overdose crisis. This time-limited exemption will be supported by rigorous monitoring and a third-party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes. The results will help inform Canada’s comprehensive approach to addressing substance use harms. We have also received a request from Toronto Public Health, and we are working in close partnership to ensure both public health and public safety considerations are included. We will continue to work with willing jurisdictions to use all the tools at our disposal, including approaches related to decriminalization, to respond to this crisis.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the toxic drug and overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abuseOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledApril 21, 2023441-01170441-01170 (Health)LaurelCollinsVictoriaNDPBCMarch 8, 2023April 21, 2023March 1, 2023Petition to the Government of Canada Whereas:Opioid crisis is one of the most deadly public health emergencies of our lifetime, with approximately 21 deaths every day and an overall death toll of 30,843 in the past six and one quarter years (January 2016 to March 2022); andThe overdose crisis rages.We, the undersigned, call upon the Government of Canada to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency and:Take steps to end overdose deaths and overdose injuries;Immediately collaborate with provinces and territories to develop a comprehensive, pan-Canadian overdose action plan;Ensure that any plan considers reforms that other countries have used, such as legal regulation of drugs to ensure safe supply, decriminalization for personal use, and changes to flawed drug policy and policing; andEnsure this emergency is taken seriously with adequately funded programming and supports.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe toxic drug and overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the crisis has only become more complex due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services due to COVID-related health measures (such as social distancing requirements, isolation requirements, etc.) and staff shortages, such as life-saving harm reduction, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other partners, including researchers, advocates and people with lived and living experience (PWLLE), to ensure that people who use drugs can continue to access the treatment, harm reduction and other services they need.The Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis as a health issue and is working with partners across all provinces and territories to save lives. Provinces and territories have a range of tools and authorities to address the ongoing overdose crisis in their respective jurisdictions. For example, provinces and territories fund and deliver the majority of direct social and health interventions, such as naloxone distribution and supervised consumption sites, which are shown to effectively reduce overdoses deaths and harms. Provinces, territories and municipalities also have the power to declare a public health emergency in response to a significant increase in overdose-related deaths, as was the case for British Columbia in April 2016 and Alberta declaring a public health crisis in May 2017. More recently, Yukon declared a substance use health emergency in January 2022. The declaration of a provincial and territorial public health emergency allows a provincial and territorial government to access and exercise extraordinary powers to address a crisis.The Emergencies Act is not an appropriate mechanism to address the ongoing overdose crisis, which requires a longer-term, sustained, and multi-jurisdictional effort to address the complex, interrelated health, social and economic factors driving opioid-related deaths and harms. At the federal level, we have taken action by: reducing legislative and regulatory barriers; developing new prescription guidelines and marketing restrictions; launching a public awareness campaign; improving the knowledge base; supporting treatment, safer supply and harm reduction initiatives across Canada; working with domestic and international partners to reduce the illegal drug supply; and, providing emergency funding to provinces and territories.The Government of Canada recognizes that substance use is a public health issue, not an issue for the criminal justice system. We are committed to a public health approach to address the crisis. Canada’s approach to substance use issues 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2017, the federal government has taken significant actions and made commitments of more than $800 million to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. Recent examples of key federal investments in this area include:
  • Nearly $350 million to the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) between 2017-2022 in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide direct services in a COVID-19 context and to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services;
  • $45 million to develop national standards for mental health and substance use services, in collaboration with provinces and territories, health organizations and key stakeholders, to address long-standing challenges in the delivery of mental health and substance use services and supports across the country; and,
  • $22.8 million in public education through national and targeted advertising, partnerships and experiential marketing on the risks of opioids, overdose awareness, harm reduction and stigma awareness and reduction.
Budget 2023 proposes to provide a total of $359.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $5.7 million ongoing and $1.3 million in remaining amortization, to support a renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy, which would guide the government's work to save lives and protect the health and safety of Canadians. This includes:
  • $144 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Health Canada for the Substance Use and Addictions Program to fund community-based supports, including safer supply, supervised consumption sites, and other evidence-based health interventions;
  • $20.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada for a new community-based program to prevent substance use among young people; 
  • $73.9 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $4.6 million ongoing, to Health Canada to streamline authorizations for supervised consumption sites and drug checking services, scale-up access to safer supply, and evaluate innovative approaches;
  • $50.8 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, with $1.1 million ongoing and $1.3 million in remaining amortization, to Health Canada; and $16 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support vital data collection on substance-related harms and lab-based analysis of the illegal drug supply;
  • $4.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Safety Canada to develop an overdose monitoring app for paramedics and other first responders; and,
  • $42 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; $6.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Services and Procurement Canada; and $1.6 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, sourced from existing resources, to Global Affairs Canada to take further action to work with our partners to tackle drug trafficking and stem the global flow of these devastating substances.
Of note, under SUAP, more than $24 million has been allocated to fund Naloxone distribution, education and training. In addition, through SUAP, the Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply – a practice often referred to as safer supply. As of March 2023, Health Canada has supported 30 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through the Substance Use and Addictions Program, representing total funding commitments of over $88.3 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects, and a National Safer Supply Community of Practice to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders.Health Canada has supported the rapid expansion of supervised consumption services across Canada. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved supervised consumption sites (SCS) offering services grew from 1 to 40. Health Canada also proactively issued exemptions that allows provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing supervised consumption sites, shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Urgent Public Health Need Sites, unlike supervised consumption sites, are temporary locations that can be set up rapidly to address the overdose crisis. Both share the goal of reducing overdose deaths.We have also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to medications used in drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption authorized to a group of people, such as pharmacists, to conduct specific activities with controlled substances) to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving injectable diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder; as well facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of methadone and diacetylmorphine; and  
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
The Government recognizes that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. We continue to work closely across federal departments to ensure that federal actions on mental health and addictions, homelessness and housing, poverty, and reconciliation are coordinated and synergistic. We are also committed to engaging collaboratively with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and other stakeholders to advance whole-of-society approaches to these issues.The Government of Canada is also working closely with provinces and territories to change the way our healthcare system delivers mental health and substance use services to Canadians. It is important for Canadians to have timely access to trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, quality mental health and substance use services that meet their needs, including underserved and equity-deserving individuals. That is why, on February 7, 2023, the Prime Minister announced that the federal government will invest $198.6 billion over ten years to bolster the health care system, notably: top-ups to the Canada Health Transfer to address immediate health care pressures; and $25 billion over 10 years to support shared health priorities through tailored bilateral agreements.In response to substance use harms and the opioid overdose crisis, the Government of Canada is regularly consulting with stakeholders and has convened several expert advisory groups, including people directly impacted by substance use. The Government regularly engages with people with lived and living experience and organizations that represent them, including; regular bi-lateral meetings with key organizations, participation on projects teams, facilitating PWLLE engagement in government and ministerial events and meaningful consultations in order to better understand their perspectives of substance use and on-the- ground realities (e.g., roundtables, Knowledge Exchange Series, etc.).Health Canada established the PWLLE Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners.The Government of Canada continues collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, researchers, people with lived and living experience, stakeholders and partners such as community-based organizations to reduce the harms associated with substance use and providing people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need.Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of illegal drugs for personal use can, increase risks of overdose and other harms, increase barriers to care and perpetuate stigma. Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The federal government is committed to using every tool at its disposal and examining all evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and toward supportive and trusted relationships in health services and social supports, when needed. For example, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose.Furthermore, Bill C-5, which received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022, made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Among other measures, the amendments encourage police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures – including diverting individuals to treatment programs – instead of laying a criminal charge or prosecuting individuals for personal drug possession. These amendments also repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use. These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada directing prosecutors that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.In May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health granted a time-limited exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, where appropriate, individuals may be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they could also receive assistance to connect with those services. British Columbia requested this exemption, and it is an additional way that the federal government is supporting the province’s comprehensive approach to the overdose crisis. This time-limited exemption will be supported by rigorous monitoring and a third-party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes. The results will help inform Canada’s comprehensive approach to addressing substance use harms. We have also received a request from Toronto Public Health, and we are working in close partnership to ensure both public health and public safety considerations are included. We will continue to work with willing jurisdictions to use all the tools at our disposal, including approaches related to decriminalization, to respond to this crisis.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the toxic drug and overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
Drug use and abuseHealth emergenciesOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledMarch 23, 2023441-01123441-01123 (Health)LaurelCollinsVictoriaNDPBCFebruary 8, 2023March 23, 2023January 24, 2023Petition to the Government of CanadaWhereas: The opioid crisis is one of the most deadly public health emergencies of our lifetime, with a death taking place on average every two hours and a death toll of 22,828 in the past five and one quarter years (January 2016 to March 2021); andThe overdose crisis rages.We, the undersigned, call upon the Government of Canada to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency and:Take steps to end overdose deaths and overdose injuries Immediately collaborate with provinces and territories to develop a comprehensive, pan-Canadian overdose action plan Ensure that any plan considers reforms that other countries have used, such as legal regulation of drugs to ensure safe supply, decriminalization for personal use, and changes to flawed drug policy and policing; and Ensure this emergency is taken seriously with adequately funded programming and supports.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe toxic drug and overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the crisis has only become more complex due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services due to COVID-related health measures (such as social distancing requirements, isolation requirements, etc.) and staff shortages, such as life-saving harm reduction, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other partners, including researchers, advocates and people with lived and living experience (PWLLE), to ensure that people who use drugs can continue to access the treatment, harm reduction and other services they need.The Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis as a health issue and is working with partners across all provinces and territories to save lives. Provinces and territories have a range of tools and authorities to address the ongoing overdose crisis in their respective jurisdictions. For example, provinces and territories fund and deliver the majority of direct social and health interventions, such as naloxone distribution and supervised consumption sites, which are shown to effectively reduce overdoses deaths and harms. Provinces, territories and municipalities also have the power to declare a public health emergency in response to a significant increase in overdose-related deaths, as was the case for British Columbia in April 2016 and Alberta declaring a public health crisis in May 2017. More recently, Yukon declared a substance use health emergency in January 2022. The declaration of a provincial and territorial public health emergency allows a provincial and territorial government to access and exercise extraordinary powers to address a crisis.The Emergencies Act is not an appropriate mechanism to address the ongoing overdose crisis, which requires a longer-term, sustained, and multi-jurisdictional effort to address the complex, interrelated health, social and economic factors driving opioid-related deaths and harms. At the federal level, we have taken action by: reducing legislative and regulatory barriers; developing new prescription guidelines and marketing restrictions; launching a public awareness campaign; improving the knowledge base; supporting treatment, safer supply and harm reduction initiatives across Canada; working with domestic and international partners to reduce the illegal drug supply; and, providing emergency funding to provinces and territories.The Government of Canada recognizes that substance use is a public health issue, not an issue for the criminal justice system. We are committed to a public health approach to address the crisis. Canada’s approach to substance use issues 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2017, the federal government has taken significant actions and made commitments of more than $800 million to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. Recent examples of key federal investments in this area include:
  • Nearly $350 million to the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) between 2017-2022 in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide direct services in a COVID-19 context and to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services;
  • $45 million to develop national standards for mental health and substance use services, in collaboration with provinces and territories, health organizations and key stakeholders, to address long-standing challenges in the delivery of mental health and substance use services and supports across the country; and,
  • $22.8 million in public education through national and targeted advertising, partnerships and experiential marketing on the risks of opioids, overdose awareness, harm reduction and stigma awareness and reduction.
Of note, under SUAP, more than $24 million has been allocated to fund Naloxone distribution, education and training. In addition, through SUAP, the Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply – a practice often referred to as safer supply. As of March 2023, Health Canada has supported 30 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through the Substance Use and Addictions Program, representing total funding commitments of over $88.3 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects, and a National Safer Supply Community of Practice to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders.Health Canada has supported the rapid expansion of supervised consumption services across Canada. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved supervised consumption sites (SCS) offering services grew from 1 to 40. Health Canada also proactively issued exemptions that allows provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing supervised consumption sites, shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Urgent Public Health Need Sites, unlike supervised consumption sites, are temporary locations that can be set up rapidly to address the overdose crisis. Both share the goal of reducing overdose deaths.We have also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to medications used in drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption authorized to a group of people, such as pharmacists, to conduct specific activities with controlled substances) to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving injectable diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder; as well facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of methadone and diacetylmorphine; and  
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
The Government recognizes that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. We continue to work closely across federal departments to ensure that federal actions on mental health and addictions, homelessness and housing, poverty, and reconciliation are coordinated and synergistic. We are also committed to engaging collaboratively with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and other stakeholders to advance whole-of-society approaches to these issues.In response to substance use harms and the opioid overdose crisis, the Government of Canada is regularly consulting with stakeholders and has convened several expert advisory groups, including people directly impacted by substance use. The Government regularly engages with people with lived and living experience and organizations that represent them, including; regular bi-lateral meetings with key organizations, participation on projects teams, facilitating PWLLE engagement in government and ministerial events and meaningful consultations in order to better understand their perspectives of substance use and on-the- ground realities (e.g., roundtables, Knowledge Exchange Series, etc.).Health Canada established the PWLLE Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners.The Government of Canada continues collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, researchers, people with lived and living experience, stakeholders and partners such as community-based organizations to reduce the harms associated with substance use and providing people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need.Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of illegal drugs for personal use can, increase risks of overdose and other harms, increase barriers to care and perpetuate stigma. Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The federal government is committed to using every tool at its disposal and examining all evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and toward supportive and trusted relationships in health services and social supports, when needed. For example, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose.Furthermore, Bill C-5, which received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022, made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Among other measures, the amendments encourage police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures – including diverting individuals to treatment programs – instead of laying a criminal charge or prosecuting individuals for personal drug possession. These amendments also repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use. These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada directing prosecutors that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.In May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health granted a time-limited exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, where appropriate, individuals may be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they could also receive assistance to connect with those services. British Columbia requested this exemption, and it is an additional way that the federal government is supporting the province’s comprehensive approach to the overdose crisis. This time-limited exemption will be supported by rigorous monitoring and a third-party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes. The results will help inform Canada’s comprehensive approach to addressing substance use harms. We have also received a request from Toronto Public Health, and we are working in close partnership to ensure both public health and public safety considerations are included. We will continue to work with willing jurisdictions to use all the tools at our disposal, including approaches related to decriminalization, to respond to this crisis.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the toxic drug and overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abuseOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledMarch 22, 2023441-01111441-01111 (Health)GordJohnsCourtenay—AlberniNDPBCFebruary 6, 2023March 22, 2023November 30, 2022PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLEDWe, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled to the following:Whereas:Over 29,000 Canadians have died due to apparent opioid toxicity between January 2016 and December 2021. Those who have died as a result of the preventable drug toxicity crisis were loved and valued citizens of this country: our children, siblings, spouses, parents, family members, clients, friends; andCanada's current drug policies have proven to be ineffective in the prevention of substance use and exacerbate substance use harms and risks. The "war on drugs" has resulted in widespread stigma towards those who use controlled substances. The "war on drugs" has allowed organized crime to be the sole provider of most controlled substances. Problematic substance use is a health issue and that cannot be resolved through criminalizing personal possession and consumption. Decriminalization of personal possession is associated with significantly reducing drug toxicity deaths in the countries that have adopted progressive drug policy reforms.Therefore, we, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:1. Reform drug policy to decriminalize simple possession of drugs listed in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act;2. Provide a path for expungement of conviction records for those convicted of simple possession; and3. With urgency, implement a health-based National Strategy for providing access to a regulated safer supply of drugs and expand trauma-informed treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services, and public education and awareness campaigns throughout Canada.
Response by the Minister of Public SafetySigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): PAM DAMOFF, M.P.The Government continues to deliver on its promise to work toward removing the stigma associated with convictions for simple possession of drugs.Originally introduced in Parliament on December 7, 2021, Bill C-5, an Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), was amended in September to address concerns about the ongoing stigma associated with a record of convictions for simple possession of drugs. It now specifies that past and future convictions for possession of controlled drugs must be kept separate and apart from other criminal convictions after a certain period of time. This amendment is consistent with the underlying objective of the Bill to address the negative consequences associated with simple possession. The amendment acknowledges the calls from public health organizations and those who work with individuals with addictions. It helps address barriers to successful reintegration into society and also helps address a contributing cause of the ongoing opioid crisis, namely the stigmatization of people who use drugs. Bill C-5 received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022.Criminal records have a lasting impact on the ability of rehabilitated individuals to successfully reintegrate into society after overcoming personal challenges in their lives. Treating simple possession of drugs as a health and social issue means eliminating the stigma associated with convictions for simple possession.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe Government of Canada remains deeply concerned about the devastating impact that the overdose crisis continues to have across the country. We have lost too many Canadians to overdose, and countless other lives have been forever altered.Our approach to the overdose crisis has been 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.The Government of Canada recognizes that substance use is a health issue and is supporting policies and approaches that divert people who use drugs away from the criminal justice system and toward appropriate health and social services. For example:
  • The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Actwas passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose.
  • In August 2020, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada issued guidance to prosecutors directing that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for personal possession offences, except when there are public safety concerns.
  • In September 2020, to help decrease stigma during police interactions with people who use drugs, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides frontline law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.
  • On November 17, 2022, Bill C-5, which made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), received Royal Assent. Among other measures, Bill C-5 encourages the use of diversion measures for personal drug possession offences, such as referral to health and social services, rather than laying a criminal charge. These amendments repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the CDSA to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use.
In addition, in May 2022, at the request of the province of British Columbia, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions granted a time-limited exemption under the CDSA so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, where appropriate, individuals may be provided with information regarding local health and social services. This three-year exemption came into effect on January 31, 2023 and will be supported by rigorous monitoring and a third-party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes. The results will help inform Canada’s comprehensive approach to addressing substance use harms.The Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the toxic illegal drug supply. As of February 2023, Health Canada has supported 28 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through the Substance Use and Addictions Program, representing total funding of over $77.8 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects, and a National Safer Supply Community of Practice to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders. We are also building the evidence around safer supply, including:
  • supporting a preliminary qualitative assessment of 10 safer supply projects, conducted by an independent contractor; and,
  • funding an arms-length evaluation of 11 safer supply pilot projects funded through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and carried out by the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse.
The Government engages with people with lived and living experience (PWLLE) and organizations that represent them, including regular bi-lateral meetings with key organizations, participation on projects teams, facilitating PWLLE engagement in government and ministerial events and meaningful consultations in order to better understand their perspectives of substance use and on-the-ground realities (e.g., roundtables, Knowledge Exchange Series, etc.). Recently, Health Canada has established the PWLLE Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy.We have established federal, provincial, and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners.Our Government also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities, and other partners, including researchers, advocates and people with lived and living experience, so that people who use drugs can continue to access the treatment, harm reduction and other services they need.Health Canada has supported the rapid expansion of supervised consumption services across Canada. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved supervised consumption sites offering services grew from 1 to 38. Health Canada also proactively issued exemptions that allows provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing supervised consumption sites, shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Urgent Public Health Need Sites, unlike supervised consumption sites, are temporary locations that can be set up rapidly to address the overdose crisis. Both share the goal of reducing overdose deaths.Since 2017, guided by the CDSS, the Government of Canada has committed more than $800 million to address the overdose crisis and responded quickly to implement a wide range of measures to help save lives and meet the diverse needs of people who use drugs. A significant part of the federal investments to address the overdose crisis have focused on increasing access to urgently needed evidence-based treatment and life-saving services, including harm reduction. For example:
  • $150 million through Budget 2018 to an Emergency Treatment Fund for provinces and territories to implement multi-year projects that improve access to evidence-based treatment services to help address the overdose crisis (cost-matched by provinces and territories for a total investment of over $300 million).
  • Nearly $350 million for the Substance Use and Addictions Program through Budgets 2017-2022 to provide funding to other levels of government, community-led and not-for-profit organizations in Canada to support projects aimed at prevention, harm reduction, and treatment.
Federal investments have also been targeted towards awareness, prevention, and stigma reduction activities to address the overdose crisis. Over $22.8 million has been invested in public education activities, including:
  • Know More” opioids awareness program, which aims to engage teens and young adults on the facts surrounding opioids, ways to reduce risks and the harms of stigma;
  • National advertising campaigns to reduce stigma around opioids and substance use, and raise awareness of the Good Samaritan law; and,
  • Ease the Burden” public education campaign to reduce substance use stigma surrounding help-seeking and encourage people to get help, especially for men in physically demanding jobs, who have been highly impacted by the opioid overdose crisis (since 2016, three out of four opioid-related deaths are men, and 30% to 50% of those employed worked in trades at the time of their death).
Health Canada continues to advance work to strengthen the CDSS informed by engagement and input from key stakeholders, including an Expert Task Force on Substance Use and provinces and territories, as well as evidence-based actions.On February 7, 2023, the Prime Minister announced the Government of Canada’s intention to work collaboratively with provinces and territories on four shared health priorities, including improving access to mental health and substance use services, that will help improve integrated health care for Canadians. To that end, the federal government announced an investment of $196.1 billion over 10 years to bolster the health care system, including $25 billion over 10 years to support shared health priorities through tailored bilateral agreements.The federal government will work to develop these bilateral agreements with provinces and territories based on their respective needs and circumstances. Taken together, these bilateral agreements will help further expand the delivery of timely, high-quality and accessible health services, including mental health services, as well as reduce substance use harms, prevent overdoses, reduce stigma, and save lives.The Government of Canada is committed to continued collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, people with lived and living experience, stakeholders, and partners, such as community-based organizations, to reduce the harms associated with substance use and providing people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need.
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Parliamentary Secretary Gary Anandasangaree
  1. Bill C-5, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, received Royal Assent and came into force on November 17, 2022. The Bill aims to ensure that responses to criminal offences are fair and effective, while ensuring that public safety is maintained. The amendments to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) reinforce the Government’s commitment to address the ongoing opioid crisis by providing space to treat substance use as a health issue, rather than as a criminal one. The law now requires police and prosecutors to consider options  such as issuing a warning, or divert people to treatment programs or other supportive services instead of proceeding with charges for simple drug possession, and enacts for the first time in the CDSA a declaration of principles to guide them in exercising discretion.
  2. Bill C-5 further addresses the stigma associated with having a criminal record by: (1) limiting the kind of information that may be kept in the police record of warning or referrals and the use that can be made of such records, as well as to whom these records may be disclosed; and, (2) providing that past and future records of convictions for this offence be kept separate and apart from other records of convictions after a certain period of time.
  3. The 2018 Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act provides that the Governor in Council may list an offence as eligible for expungement if the activity no longer constitutes an offence, and the criminalization of the activity was a historical injustice. Bill C-5 did not repeal the offence of simple drug possession.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abusePublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 30, 2023441-00924441-00924 (Health)GordJohnsCourtenay—AlberniNDPBCDecember 5, 2022January 30, 2023October 25, 2022PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLEDWe, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled to the following:Whereas:Over 29,000 Canadians have died due to apparent opioid toxicity between January 2016 and December 2021. Those who have died as a result of the preventable drug toxicity crisis were loved and valued citizens of this country: our children, siblings, spouses, parents, family members, clients, friends; andCanada's current drug policies have proven to be ineffective in the prevention of substance use and exacerbate substance use harms and risks. The "war on drugs" has resulted in widespread stigma towards those who use controlled substances. The "war on drugs" has allowed organized crime to be the sole provider of most controlled substances. Problematic substance use is a health issue and that cannot be resolved through criminalizing personal possession and consumption. Decriminalization of personal possession is associated with significantly reducing drug toxicity deaths in the countries that have adopted progressive drug policy reforms.Therefore, we, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:1. Reform drug policy to decriminalize simple possession of drugs listed in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act;2. Provide a path for expungement of conviction records for those convicted of simple possession; and3. With urgency, implement a health-based National Strategy for providing access to a regulated safer supply of drugs and expand trauma-informed treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services, and public education and awareness campaigns throughout Canada.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe Government of Canada remains deeply concerned about the devastating impact that the toxic illegal drug overdose crisis continues to have across the country. We have lost too many Canadians to overdose and countless other lives have been forever altered.Our approach to the overdose crisis has been 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.The Government of Canada recognizes that substance use is a health issue and is supporting policies and approaches that divert people who use drugs away from the criminal justice system and toward appropriate health and social services. For example:
  • The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Actwas passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose.
  • In August 2020, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada issued guidance to prosecutors directing that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for personal possession offences, except when there are public safety concerns.
  • In September 2020, to help decrease stigma during police interactions with people who use drugs, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides frontline law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.
  • On November 17, 2022, Bill C-5, which made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), received Royal Assent. Among other measures, Bill C-5 encourages the use of diversion measures for personal drug possession offences, such as referral to health and social services, rather than laying a criminal charge. These amendments repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the CDSA to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use.
In addition, in May 2022, at the request of the province of British Columbia, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions granted a time-limited exemption under the CDSA so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, where appropriate, individuals may be provided with information regarding local health and social services. This time-limited exemption will be supported by rigorous monitoring and a third-party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes. The results will help inform Canada’s comprehensive approach to addressing substance use harms.The Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the toxic illegal drug supply. As of December 2022, Health Canada has supported 28 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through the Substance Use and Addictions Program, representing total funding of over $77.8 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects, and a National Safer Supply Community of Practice to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders. We are also building the evidence around safer supply, including:
  • supporting a preliminary qualitative assessment of 10 safer supply projects, conducted by an independent contractor; and,
  • funding an arms-length evaluation of 11 safer supply pilot projects funded through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and carried out by the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse.
The Government engages with people with lived and living experience (PWLLE) and organizations that represent them, including: regular bi-lateral meetings with key organizations, participation on projects teams, facilitating PWLLE engagement in government and ministerial events and meaningful consultations in order to better understand their perspectives of substance use and on-the-ground realities (e.g., roundtables, Knowledge Exchange Series, etc.). Recently, Health Canada has established the PWLLE Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy.We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners.Our Government also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption for a group of individuals, such as pharmacists, to authorize specific activities with controlled substances) to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder, as well as facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of methadone and diacetylmorphine; and,  
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other partners, including researchers, advocates and people with lived and living experience, so that people who use drugs can continue to access the treatment, harm reduction and other services they need.Health Canada has supported the rapid expansion of supervised consumption services across Canada. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved supervised consumption sites offering services grew from 1 to 39. Health Canada also proactively issued exemptions that allows provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing supervised consumption sites, shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Urgent Public Health Need Sites, unlike supervised consumption sites, are temporary locations that can be set up rapidly to address the overdose crisis. Both share the goal of reducing overdose deaths.Since 2017, guided by the CDSS, the Government of Canada has committed more than $815 million to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and responded quickly to implement a wide range of measures to help save lives and meet the diverse needs of people who use drugs. A significant part of the federal investments to address the overdose crisis have focused on increasing access to urgently needed treatment and life-saving services, including harm reduction. For example:
  • $150 million through Budget 2018 to an Emergency Treatment Fund for provinces and territories to implement multi-year projects that improve access to evidence-based treatment services to help address the overdose crisis (cost-matched by provinces and territories for a total investment of over $300 million).
  • Nearly $350 million for the Substance Use and Addictions Program through Budgets 2017-2022 to provide funding to other levels of government, community-led and not-for-profit organizations in Canada to support projects aimed at prevention, harm reduction, and treatment.
Federal investments have also been targeted towards awareness, prevention and stigma reduction activities to address the overdose crisis. Over $22.8M has been invested in public education activities, including:
  • Know More” opioids awareness program, which aims to engage teens and young adults on the facts surrounding opioids, ways to reduce risks and the harms of stigma;
  • National advertising campaigns to reduce stigma around opioids and substance use, and raise awareness of the Good Samaritan law; and,
  • Ease the Burden” public education campaign to reduce substance use stigma surrounding help-seeking and encourage people to get help, especially for men in physically demanding jobs, who have been highly impacted by the opioid overdose crisis (since 2016, three out of four opioid-related deaths are men, and 30% to 50% of those employed worked in trades at the time of their death).
Health Canada continues to advance work to strengthen the CDSS informed by engagement and input from key stakeholders, including an Expert Task Force on Substance Use and provinces and territories, as well as evidence-based actions.The Government of Canada is committed to continued collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, people with lived and living experience, stakeholders and partners, such as community-based organizations, to reduce the harms associated with substance use and providing people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need.
Response by the Minister of Public SafetySigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): PAM DAMOFF, M.P.The Government continues to deliver on its promise to work toward removing the stigma associated with convictions for simple possession of drugs.Originally introduced in Parliament on December 7, 2021, Bill C-5, an Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), was amended in September to address concerns about the ongoing stigma associated with a record of convictions for simple possession of drugs. It now specifies that past and future convictions for possession of controlled drugs must be kept separate and apart from other criminal convictions after a certain period of time. This amendment is consistent with the underlying objective of the Bill to address the negative consequences associated with simple possession. The amendment acknowledges the calls from public health organizations and those who work with individuals with addictions. It helps address barriers to successful reintegration into society and also helps address a contributing cause of the ongoing opioid crisis, namely the stigmatization of people who use drugs.Criminal records have a lasting impact on the ability of rehabilitated individuals to successfully reintegrate into society after overcoming personal challenges in their lives. Treating simple possession of drugs as a health and social issue means eliminating the stigma associated with convictions for simple possession.
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Parliamentary Secretary Gary Anandasangaree1.    Bill C-5, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, received Royal Assent and came into force on November 17, 2022. The Bill aims to ensure that responses to criminal offences are fair and effective, while ensuring that public safety is maintained. The amendments to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) reinforce the Government’s commitment to address the ongoing opioid crisis by providing space to treat substance use as a health issue, rather than as a criminal one. The  law now requires police and prosecutors to consider options  such as issuing a warning, or divert people to treatment programs or other supportive services instead of proceeding with charges for simple drug possession, and enacts for the first time in the CDSA a declaration of principles to guide them in exercising discretion.  2.    Bill C-5 further addresses the stigma associated with having a criminal record by: (1) limiting the kind of information that may be kept in the police record of warning or referrals and the use that can be made of such records, as well as to whom these records may be disclosed; and, (2) providing that past and future records of convictions for this offence be kept separate and apart from other records of convictions after a certain period of time. 3.    The 2018 Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act provides that the Governor in Council may list an offence as eligible for expungement if the activity no longer constitutes an offence, and the criminalization of the activity was a historical injustice. Bill C-5 did not repeal the offence of simple drug possession.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abusePublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledDecember 13, 2022441-00821441-00821 (Health)GordJohnsCourtenay—AlberniNDPBCOctober 31, 2022December 13, 2022June 7, 2022Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament AssembledWe, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled to the following:Whereas:Over 27,000 Canadians have died since 2016 due to preventable drug poisoning, resulting from a toxic drug supply; Those who have died as a result of the preventable drug toxicity crisis were loved and valued citizens of this country: our children, siblings, spouses, parents, family members, clients, friends; Our current drug policy has proven to be ineffective in the prevention of substance use and exacerbates its harmful effects; The war on drugs has resulted in widespread stigma towards those who use controlled substances; The war on drugs has allowed organized crime to be the sole provider of substances; Problematic substance use is a health issue and is not resolved through criminalizing personal possession and consumption; Decriminalization of personal possession is associated with dramatically reducing drug toxicity deaths in the countries that have modernized their drug policy; and Substance use is a normal part of human experience; documented across centuries and all over the world.Therefore, we, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:1. Reform drug policy to decriminalize simple possession of drugs listed in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act;2. Provide a path for expungement of conviction records for those convicted of simple possession;3. With urgency, implement a health-based National Strategy for providing access to a regulated safer supply of drugs and expand trauma-informed treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services, and public education and awareness campaigns throughout Canada; and4. Support Bill C-216, the Health-Based Approach to Substance Use Act.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe toxic illegal drug overdose crisis is one of the most serious public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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.The federal government is supporting policies and approaches that divert people who use drugs away from the criminal justice system and toward appropriate health service and social supports, when needed. For example:
  • The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose.
  • In November 2022, Bill C-5, which made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), received Royal Assent. Among other measures, Bill C-5 encourages the use of diversion measures for personal drug possession offences, such as referral to health and social services, rather than laying a criminal charge. These amendments repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the CDSA to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use.
  • These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada to prosecutors directing that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.
  • Additionally, to help decrease stigma during police interactions with people who use drugs, in September 2020, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides frontline law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.
In May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions granted a time-limited exemption under the CDSA so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, where appropriate, individuals may be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they could also receive assistance to connect with those services. British Columbia requested this exemption, and it is an additional way that the federal government is supporting the province’s comprehensive approach to the overdose crisis. This time-limited exemption will be supported by rigorous monitoring and a third party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes. The results will help inform Canada’s comprehensive approach to addressing substance use harms. We have also received a request from Toronto Public Health and we are working with them toward a complete exemption request. Our government will continue to work in close partnership with various jurisdictions or organizations that submit an exemption request so that the requests address both the public health and public safety objectives of the CDSA.We continue to work with willing jurisdictions to use all tools at our disposal to address this crisis, including approaches to redirect people who use drugs away from the criminal justice system and towards health and social services.The Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the toxic illegal drug supply. As of December 2022, Health Canada has supported 28 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through the Substance Use and Addictions Program, representing total funding of over $77.8 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects, and a National Safer Supply Community of Practice to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders. We are also helping to build the evidence around safer supply, including:
  • supporting a preliminary qualitative assessment of 10 safer supply projects, conducted by an independent contractor; and,
  • funding an arms-length evaluation of 11 safer supply pilot projects funded through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and carried out by the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (CRISM).
The Government engages with people with lived and living experience (PWLLE) and organizations that represent them, including: regular bi-lateral meetings with key organizations, participation on projects teams, facilitating PWLLE engagement in government and ministerial events and meaningful consultations in order to better understand their perspectives of substance use and on-the-ground realities (e.g., roundtables, Knowledge Exchange Series, etc.). Recently, Health Canada has established the PWLLE Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy.We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners.Our Government also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other partners, including researchers, advocates and people with lived and living experience, so that people who use drugs can continue to access the treatment, harm reduction and other services they need.Health Canada has supported the rapid expansion of supervised consumption services across Canada. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved supervised consumption sites (SCS) offering services grew from 1 to 39. Health Canada also proactively issued exemptions that allows provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing supervised consumption sites, shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Urgent Public Health Need Sites, unlike supervised consumption sites, are temporary locations that can be set up rapidly to address the overdose crisis. Both share the goal of reducing overdose deaths.Since 2017, the Government of Canada has committed more than $800 million to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and responded quickly to implement a wide range of measures to help save lives and meet the diverse needs of people who use drugs. A significant part of the federal investments to address the overdose crisis have focused on increasing access to urgently needed treatment and life-saving services, including harm reduction. For example:
  • $150M through Budget 2018 to an Emergency Treatment Fund (ETF) for provinces and territories to implement multi-year projects that improve access to evidence-based treatment services to help address the overdose crisis (cost-matched by provinces and territories for a total investment of over $300M).
  • Nearly $350M for the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) through Budgets 2017-2022 to provide funding to other levels of government, community-led and not-for-profit organizations in Canada to support projects aimed at prevention, harm reduction, and treatment.
Federal investments have also been targeted towards awareness, prevention and stigma reduction activities to address the overdose crisis. Over $22.8M has been invested in public education activities, including:
  • “Know More Opioids” awareness program, which aims to engage teens and young adults on the facts surrounding opioids, ways to reduce risks and the harms of stigma;
  • National advertising campaigns to reduce stigma around opioids and substance use, and raise awareness of the Good Samaritan law; and,
  • “Ease the Burden” public education campaign to reduce substance use stigma surrounding help-seeking and encourage people to get help, especially for men in physically demanding jobs, who have been highly impacted by the opioid overdose crisis (since 2016, three out of four opioid-related deaths are men, and 30% to 50% of those employed worked in trades at the time of their death).
Under the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy (CDSS), the Government of Canada shares the commitment of Bill C-216 to a public health approach to substance use; however, it could not support this Bill as written. Health Canada continues to advance work in support of the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions’ mandate to “advance a comprehensive strategy to address problematic substance use in Canada.”The Government of Canada is committed to continued collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, people with lived and living experience, stakeholders and partners, such as community-based organizations, to reduce the harms associated with substance use and providing people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need.
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Parliamentary Secretary Gary Anandasangaree1.    Former Bill C-5, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, which received Royal Assent and came into force on November 17, 2022, aims to ensure that responses to criminal offences are fair and effective, while ensuring that public safety is maintained. The amendments to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) reinforce the Government’s commitment to address the ongoing opioid crisis by providing space to treat simple drug possession as a health issue, rather than as a criminal one. The new law requires police and prosecutors to consider doing nothing, issue a warning, or divert people to treatment programs or other supportive services instead of proceeding with charges for simple drug possession, and enacts for the first time in the CDSA a declaration of principles to guide them in exercising discretion.  2.    Former Bill C-5 further addresses the stigma associated with simple drug possession by: (1) limiting the kind of information that may be kept in the police record of warning or referrals and the use that can be made of such records, as well as to whom these records may be disclosed; and, (2) providing that past and future records of convictions for this offence be kept separate and apart from other records of convictions after a certain period of time. 3.    The 2018 Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act provides that the Governor in Council may list an offence as eligible for expungement if the activity no longer constitutes an offence, and the criminalization of the activity was a historical injustice. Former Bill C-5 did not decriminalize simple drug possession. 
Response by the Minister of Public SafetySigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): PAM DAMOFF, M.P.The Government continues to deliver on its promise to work toward removing the stigma associated with convictions for simple possession of drugs.Originally introduced in Parliament on December 7, 2021, Bill C-5, an Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), was amended in September to address concerns about the ongoing stigma associated with a record of convictions for simple possession of drugs. It now specifies that past and future convictions for possession of controlled drugs must be kept separate and apart from other criminal convictions after a certain period of time. This amendment is consistent with the underlying objective of the Bill to address the negative consequences associated with simple possession. The amendment acknowledges the calls from public health organizations and those who work with individuals with addictions. It helps address barriers to successful reintegration into society and also helps address a contributing cause of the ongoing opioid crisis, namely the stigmatization of people who use drugs.Criminal records have a lasting impact on the ability of rehabilitated individuals to successfully reintegrate into society after overcoming personal challenges in their lives. Treating simple possession of drugs as a health and social issue means eliminating the stigma associated with convictions for simple possession.
C-216, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to enact the Expungement of Certain Drug-related Convictions Act and the National Strategy on Substance Use ActDecriminalizationDrug use and abusePublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledDecember 8, 2022441-00803441-00803 (Health)MikeMorriceKitchener CentreGreen PartyONOctober 25, 2022December 8, 2022June 21, 2022PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLEDWhereas:
  • The overdose crisis in Canada is a public health emergency;
  • More than 26,690 individuals have died of opioid-related deaths and there have been 29,228 opioid-related poisoning hospitalizations in Canada since 2016;
  • There is disproportionate representation of Indigenous people affected by the poisoning crisis; and
  • The Canadian Public Health Association, the Global Commission on Drug Policy, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations, have recommended drug decriminalization.
We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to:
  • Declare a public health emergency due to overdose deaths in Canada;
  • Reframe the overdose crisis in Canada as a health issue rather than a criminal issue;
  • Take a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to the overdose crisis, by addressing issues of addiction, poverty, housing, health care, systemic racism, and economic inequality and instability;
  • Listen to and act on recommendations made by social workers, front-line workers, nurses, doctors, drug users, and individuals directly involved in the drug-using community; and
  • Decriminalize drugs in Canada.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe toxic drug and overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the crisis has only become more complex due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services due to COVID-related health measures (such as social distancing requirements, isolation requirements, etc.) and staff shortages, such as life-saving harm reduction, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have 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.The Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis as a health issue and is working with partners across all provinces and territories to save lives. Provinces and territories have a range of tools and authorities to address the ongoing overdose crisis in their respective jurisdictions. For example, provinces and territories fund and deliver the majority of direct social and health interventions, such as naloxone distribution and supervised consumption sites, which are shown to effectively reduce overdoses deaths and harms. Provinces, territories and municipalities also have the power to declare a public health emergency in response to a significant increase in overdose-related deaths, as was the case for British Columbia in April 2016 and Alberta declaring a public health crisis in May 2017. More recently, Yukon declared a substance use health emergency in January 2022. The declaration of a provincial and territorial public health emergency allows a provincial and territorial government to access and exercise extraordinary powers to address a crisis.The Emergencies Act is not an appropriate mechanism to address the ongoing overdose crisis, which requires a longer-term, sustained, and multi-jurisdictional effort to address the complex, interrelated health, social and economic factors driving opioid-related deaths and harms. At the federal level, we have taken action by: reducing legislative and regulatory barriers; developing new prescription guidelines and marketing restrictions; launching a public awareness campaign; improving the knowledge base; supporting treatment, safer supply and harm reduction initiatives across Canada; working with domestic and international partners to reduce the illegal drug supply; and, providing emergency funding to provinces and territories.The Government of Canada recognizes that substance use is a public health issue, not an issue for the criminal justice system. We are committed to a public health approach to address the crisis. Canada’s approach to substance use issues 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2017, the federal government has taken significant actions and made commitments of more than $800M to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. Recent examples of key federal investments in this area include:
  • Nearly $350M  to the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) between 2017-2022  in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide direct services in a COVID-19 context and to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services;
  • $45 million to develop national standards for mental health and substance use services, in collaboration with provinces and territories, health organizations and key stakeholders, to address long-standing challenges in the delivery of mental health and substance use services and supports across the country; and,
  • $22.8 million in public education through national and targeted advertising, partnerships and experiential marketing on the risks of opioids, overdose awareness, harm reduction and stigma awareness and reduction.
Of note, under SUAP, more than $20 million has been allocated to fund Naloxone distribution, education and training. In addition, through SUAP, the Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply – a practice often referred to as safer supply. As of September 2022, Health Canada has supported 28 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through the Substance Use and Addictions Program, representing total funding commitments of over $77.8 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects, and a National Safer Supply Community of Practice to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders.Health Canada has supported the rapid expansion of supervised consumption services across Canada. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved supervised consumption sites (SCS) offering services grew from 1 to 39. Health Canada also proactively issued exemptions that allows provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing supervised consumption sites, shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Urgent Public Health Need Sites, unlike supervised consumption sites, are temporary locations that can be set up rapidly to address the overdose crisis. Both share the goal of reducing overdose deaths.We have also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to medications used in drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption authorized to a group of people, such as pharmacists, to conduct specific activities with controlled substances) to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving injectable diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder; as well facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of methadone and diacetylmorphine; and  
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
The Government recognizes that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. We continue to work closely across federal departments to ensure that federal actions on mental health and addictions, homelessness and housing, poverty, and reconciliation are coordinated and synergistic. We are also committed to engaging collaboratively with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and other stakeholders to advance whole-of-society approaches to these issues.In response to substance use harms and the opioid overdose crisis, the Government of Canada is regularly consulting with stakeholders and has convened several expert advisory groups, including people directly impacted by substance use. The Government regularly engages with people with lived and living experience (PWLLE) and organizations that represent them, including; regular bi-lateral meetings with key organizations, participation on projects teams, facilitating PWLLE engagement in government and ministerial events and meaningful consultations in order to better understand their perspectives of substance use and on-the- ground realities (e.g., roundtables, Knowledge Exchange Series, etc.).Health Canada established the PWLLE Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners.The Government of Canada continues collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, researchers, people with lived and living experience, stakeholders and partners such as community-based organizations to reduce the harms associated with substance use and providing people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need.Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of illegal drugs for personal use can, increase risks of overdose and other harms, increase barriers to care and perpetuate stigma. Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The federal government is committed to using every tool at its disposal and examining all evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and toward supportive and trusted relationships in health services and social supports, when needed. For example, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose.Furthermore, Bill C-5, which received Royal Assent on November 17, 2022, made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Among other measures, the amendments encourage police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures – including diverting individuals to treatment programs – instead of laying a criminal charge or prosecuting individuals for personal drug possession. These amendments also repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use. These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada directing prosecutors that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.In May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions granted a time-limited exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, where appropriate, individuals may be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they could also receive assistance to connect with those services. British Columbia requested this exemption, and it is an additional way that the federal government is supporting the province’s comprehensive approach to the overdose crisis. This time-limited exemption will be supported by rigorous monitoring and a third party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes. The results will help inform Canada’s comprehensive approach to addressing substance use harms. We have also received a request from Toronto Public Health and we are working with them toward a complete exemption request. Our Government continues to work in close partnership with various jurisdictions that have submitted an application to ensure both public health and public safety considerations are included for a successful application.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the toxic drug and overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue, and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abuseOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledDecember 7, 2022441-00793441-00793 (Health)GordJohnsCourtenay—AlberniNDPBCOctober 24, 2022December 7, 2022June 7, 2022Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament AssembledWe, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled to the following:Whereas:Over 27,000 Canadians have died since 2016 due to preventable drug poisoning, resulting from a toxic drug supply; Those who have died as a result of the preventable drug toxicity crisis were loved and valued citizens of this country: our children, siblings, spouses, parents, family members, clients, friends; Our current drug policy has proven to be ineffective in the prevention of substance use and exacerbates its harmful effects; The war on drugs has resulted in widespread stigma towards those who use controlled substances; The war on drugs has allowed organized crime to be the sole provider of substances; Problematic substance use is a health issue and is not resolved through criminalizing personal possession and consumption; Decriminalization of personal possession is associated with dramatically reducing drug toxicity deaths in the countries that have modernized their drug policy; and Substance use is a normal part of human experience; documented across centuries and all over the world.Therefore, we, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:1. Reform drug policy to decriminalize simple possession of drugs listed in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act;2. Provide a path for expungement of conviction records for those convicted of simple possession;3. With urgency, implement a health-based National Strategy for providing access to a regulated safer supply of drugs and expand trauma-informed treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services, and public education and awareness campaigns throughout Canada; and4. Support Bill C-216, the Health-Based Approach to Substance Use Act.
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Parliamentary Secretary Gary Anandasangaree1.    Bill C-5, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act was introduced on December 7, 2021. The Bill proposes amendments to ensure that responses to criminal offences are fair and effective, while ensuring that public safety is maintained. The proposed amendments to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) reinforce the Government’s commitment to address the ongoing opioid crisis. They would provide space to treat simple drug possession as a health issue, rather than as a criminal one, by requiring police and prosecutors to consider doing nothing, issuing a warning and diverting people to treatment programs or other supportive services, when appropriate, instead of charging and prosecuting someone for this conduct. The Bill would support police and prosecutors by enacting for the first time in the CDSA a declaration of principles to guide them in exercising discretion.  2.    As passed by the House of Commons, Bill C-5 would further address the stigma associated with simple drug possession by: (1) limiting the kind of information that may be kept in the police record of warning and the use that can be made of such records, as well as to whom these records may be disclosed; and, (2) providing for sequestration of past and future records of convictions for this offence after a certain period of time. 3.    The 2018 Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act provides that the Governor in Council may list an offence as eligible for expungement if the activity no longer constitutes an offence, and the criminalization of the activity was historically injustice. Bill C-5 does not propose to decriminalize simple drug possession. 
Response by the Minister of Public SafetySigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Pam Damoff, M.P.The Government continues to deliver on its promise to work toward removing the stigma associated with convictions for simple possession of drugs.Originally introduced in Parliament on December 7, 2021, Bill C-5, an Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), was amended in September to address concerns about the ongoing stigma associated with a record of convictions for simple possession of drugs. It now specifies that past and future convictions for possession of controlled drugs must be kept separate and apart from other criminal convictions after a certain period of time. This amendment is consistent with the underlying objective of the Bill to address the negative consequences associated with simple possession. The amendment acknowledges the calls from public health organizations and those who work with individuals with addictions. It helps address barriers to successful reintegration into society and also helps address a contributing cause of the ongoing opioid crisis, namely the stigmatization of people who use drugs.Criminal records have a lasting impact on the ability of rehabilitated individuals to successfully reintegrate into society after overcoming personal challenges in their lives. Treating simple possession of drugs as a health and social issue means eliminating the stigma associated with convictions for simple possession.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe toxic illegal drug overdose crisis is one of the most serious public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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.The federal government is supporting policies and approaches that divert people who use drugs away from the criminal justice system and toward appropriate health service and social supports, when needed. For example:
  • The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose.
  • In November 2022, Bill C-5, which made legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), received Royal Assent. Among other measures, Bill C-5 encourages the use of diversion measures for personal drug possession offences, such as referral to health and social services, rather than laying a criminal charge. These amendments repealed mandatory minimum penalties for certain offences in the CDSA to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use.
  • These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada to prosecutors directing that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.
  • Additionally, to help decrease stigma during police interactions with people who use drugs, in September 2020, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides frontline law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.
In May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions granted a time-limited exemption under the CDSA so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, where appropriate, individuals may be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they could also receive assistance to connect with those services. British Columbia requested this exemption, and it is an additional way that the federal government is supporting the province’s comprehensive approach to the overdose crisis. This time-limited exemption will be supported by rigorous monitoring and a third party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes. The results will help inform Canada’s comprehensive approach to addressing substance use harms. We have also received a request from Toronto Public Health and we are working with them toward a complete exemption request. Our government will continue to work in close partnership with various jurisdictions or organizations that submit an exemption request so that the requests address both the public health and public safety objectives of the CDSA.We continue to work with willing jurisdictions to use all tools at our disposal to address this crisis, including approaches to redirect people who use drugs away from the criminal justice system and towards health and social services.The Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the toxic illegal drug supply. As of December 2022, Health Canada has supported 28 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through the Substance Use and Addictions Program, representing total funding of over $77.8 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects, and a National Safer Supply Community of Practice to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders. We are also helping to build the evidence around safer supply, including:
  • supporting a preliminary qualitative assessment of 10 safer supply projects, conducted by an independent contractor; and,
  • funding an arms-length evaluation of 11 safer supply pilot projects funded through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and carried out by the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (CRISM).
The Government engages with people with lived and living experience (PWLLE) and organizations that represent them, including: regular bi-lateral meetings with key organizations, participation on projects teams, facilitating PWLLE engagement in government and ministerial events and meaningful consultations in order to better understand their perspectives of substance use and on-the-ground realities (e.g., roundtables, Knowledge Exchange Series, etc.). Recently, Health Canada has established the PWLLE Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy.We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners.Our Government also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other partners, including researchers, advocates and people with lived and living experience, so that people who use drugs can continue to access the treatment, harm reduction and other services they need.Health Canada has supported the rapid expansion of supervised consumption services across Canada. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved supervised consumption sites (SCS) offering services grew from 1 to 39. Health Canada also proactively issued exemptions that allows provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing supervised consumption sites, shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Urgent Public Health Need Sites, unlike supervised consumption sites, are temporary locations that can be set up rapidly to address the overdose crisis. Both share the goal of reducing overdose deaths.Since 2017, the Government of Canada has committed more than $800 million to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and responded quickly to implement a wide range of measures to help save lives and meet the diverse needs of people who use drugs. A significant part of the federal investments to address the overdose crisis have focused on increasing access to urgently needed treatment and life-saving services, including harm reduction. For example:
  • $150M through Budget 2018 to an Emergency Treatment Fund (ETF) for provinces and territories to implement multi-year projects that improve access to evidence-based treatment services to help address the overdose crisis (cost-matched by provinces and territories for a total investment of over $300M).
  • Nearly $350M for the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) through Budgets 2017-2022 to provide funding to other levels of government, community-led and not-for-profit organizations in Canada to support projects aimed at prevention, harm reduction, and treatment.
Federal investments have also been targeted towards awareness, prevention and stigma reduction activities to address the overdose crisis. Over $22.8M has been invested in public education activities, including:
  • “Know More Opioids” awareness program, which aims to engage teens and young adults on the facts surrounding opioids, ways to reduce risks and the harms of stigma;
  • National advertising campaigns to reduce stigma around opioids and substance use, and raise awareness of the Good Samaritan law; and,
  • “Ease the Burden” public education campaign to reduce substance use stigma surrounding help-seeking and encourage people to get help, especially for men in physically demanding jobs, who have been highly impacted by the opioid overdose crisis (since 2016, three out of four opioid-related deaths are men, and 30% to 50% of those employed worked in trades at the time of their death).
Under the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy (CDSS), the Government of Canada shares the commitment of Bill C-216 to a public health approach to substance use; however, it could not support this Bill as written. Health Canada continues to advance work in support of the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions’ mandate to “advance a comprehensive strategy to address problematic substance use in Canada.”The Government of Canada is committed to continued collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, people with lived and living experience, stakeholders and partners, such as community-based organizations, to reduce the harms associated with substance use and providing people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need.
C-216, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to enact the Expungement of Certain Drug-related Convictions Act and the National Strategy on Substance Use ActDecriminalizationDrug use and abusePublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledNovember 18, 2022441-00744441-00744 (Health)GordJohnsCourtenay—AlberniNDPBCOctober 5, 2022November 18, 2022June 7, 2022Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament AssembledWe, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled to the following:Whereas:Over 27,000 Canadians have died since 2016 due to preventable drug poisoning, resulting from a toxic drug supply; Those who have died as a result of the preventable drug toxicity crisis were loved and valued citizens of this country: our children, siblings, spouses, parents, family members, clients, friends; Our current drug policy has proven to be ineffective in the prevention of substance use and exacerbates its harmful effects; The war on drugs has resulted in widespread stigma towards those who use controlled substances; The war on drugs has allowed organized crime to be the sole provider of substances; Problematic substance use is a health issue and is not resolved through criminalizing personal possession and consumption; Decriminalization of personal possession is associated with dramatically reducing drug toxicity deaths in the countries that have modernized their drug policy; and Substance use is a normal part of human experience; documented across centuries and all over the world.Therefore, we, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:1. Reform drug policy to decriminalize simple possession of drugs listed in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act;2. Provide a path for expungement of conviction records for those convicted of simple possession;3. With urgency, implement a health-based National Strategy for providing access to a regulated safer supply of drugs and expand trauma-informed treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services, and public education and awareness campaigns throughout Canada; and4. Support Bill C-216, the Health-Based Approach to Substance Use Act.
Response by the Minister of Public SafetySigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Pam Damoff, M.P.The Government continues to deliver on its promise to work toward removing the stigma associated with convictions for simple possession of drugs.Originally introduced in Parliament on December 7, 2021, Bill C-5, an Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), was amended in September to address concerns about the ongoing stigma associated with a record of convictions for simple possession of drugs. It now specifies that past and future convictions for possession of controlled drugs must be kept separate and apart from other criminal convictions after a certain period of time. This amendment is consistent with the underlying objective of the Bill to address the negative consequences associated with simple possession. The amendment acknowledges the calls from public health organizations and those who work with individuals with addictions. It helps address barriers to successful reintegration into society and also helps address a contributing cause of the ongoing opioid crisis, namely the stigmatization of people who use drugs.Criminal records have a lasting impact on the ability of rehabilitated individuals to successfully reintegrate into society after overcoming personal challenges in their lives. Treating simple possession of drugs as a health and social issue means eliminating the stigma associated with convictions for simple possession.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe toxic illegal drug overdose crisis is one of the most serious public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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.The federal government is supporting policies and approaches that divert people who use drugs away from the criminal justice system and toward appropriate health service and social supports, when needed. For example:
  • The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose.
  • In December 2021, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General for Canada reintroduced proposed legislative amendments (Bill C-5) that would encourage the use of diversion measures for personal drug possession offences, such as referral to health and social services, rather than laying a criminal charge. These amendments also propose to repeal mandatory minimum penalties for six offences in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use.
  • These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada to prosecutors directing that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.
  • Additionally, to help decrease stigma during police interactions with people who use drugs, in September 2020, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides frontline law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.
In May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions granted a time-limited exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. Instead, where appropriate, individuals may be provided with information regarding local health and social services. Upon request, they could also receive assistance to connect with those services. British Columbia requested this exemption, and it is an additional way that the federal government is supporting the province’s comprehensive approach to the overdose crisis. This time-limited exemption will be supported by rigorous monitoring and a third party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes. The results will help inform Canada’s comprehensive approach to addressing substance use harms. We have also received a request from Toronto Public Health and we are working with them toward a complete exemption request. Our government will continue to work in close partnership with various jurisdictions or organizations that submit an exemption request so that the requests address both the public health and public safety objectives of the CDSA.We continue to work with willing jurisdictions to use all tools at our disposal to address this crisis, including approaches to redirect people who use drugs away from the criminal justice system and towards health and social services.The Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the toxic illegal drug supply. As of November 2022, Health Canada has supported 27 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through the Substance Use and Addictions Program, representing total funding of over $76 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects, and a National Safer Supply Community of Practice to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders. We are also helping to build the evidence around safer supply, including:
  • supporting a preliminary qualitative assessment of 10 safer supply projects, conducted by an independent contractor; and,
  • funding an arms-length evaluation of 11 safer supply pilot projects funded through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and carried out by the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (CRISM).
The Government engages with people with lived and living experience (PWLLE) and organizations that represent them, including: regular bi-lateral meetings with key organizations, participation on projects teams, facilitating PWLLE engagement in government and ministerial events and meaningful consultations in order to better understand their perspectives of substance use and on-the-ground realities (e.g., roundtables, Knowledge Exchange Series, etc.). Recently, Health Canada has established the PWLLE Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy.We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners.Our Government also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other partners, including researchers, advocates and people with lived and living experience, so that people who use drugs can continue to access the treatment, harm reduction and other services they need.Health Canada has supported the rapid expansion of supervised consumption services across Canada. Since January 2016, the number of federally approved supervised consumption sites (SCS) offering services grew from 1 to 39. Health Canada also proactively issued exemptions that allows provinces and territories to establish new temporary Urgent Public Health Need Sites – also known as overdose prevention sites – within existing supervised consumption sites, shelters or other temporary sites, as needed. Urgent Public Health Need Sites, unlike supervised consumption sites, are temporary locations that can be set up rapidly to address the overdose crisis. Both share the goal of reducing overdose deaths.Since 2017, the Government of Canada has committed more than $800 million to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and responded quickly to implement a wide range of measures to help save lives and meet the diverse needs of people who use drugs. A significant part of the federal investments to address the overdose crisis have focused on increasing access to urgently needed treatment and life-saving services, including harm reduction. For example:
  • $150M through Budget 2018 to an Emergency Treatment Fund (ETF) for provinces and territories to implement multi-year projects that improve access to evidence-based treatment services to help address the overdose crisis (cost-matched by provinces and territories for a total investment of over $300M).
  • Nearly $350M for the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) through Budgets 2017-2022 to provide funding to other levels of government, community-led and not-for-profit organizations in Canada to support projects aimed at prevention, harm reduction, and treatment.
Federal investments have also been targeted towards awareness, prevention and stigma reduction activities to address the overdose crisis. Over $22.8M has been invested in public education activities, including:
  • “Know More Opioids” awareness program, which aims to engage teens and young adults on the facts surrounding opioids, ways to reduce risks and the harms of stigma;
  • National advertising campaigns to reduce stigma around opioids and substance use, and raise awareness of the Good Samaritan law; and,
  • “Ease the Burden” public education campaign to reduce substance use stigma surrounding help-seeking and encourage people to get help, especially for men in physically demanding jobs, who have been highly impacted by the opioid overdose crisis (since 2016, three out of four opioid-related deaths are men, and 30% to 50% of those employed worked in trades at the time of their death).
Under the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy (CDSS), the Government of Canada shares the commitment of Bill C-216 to a public health approach to substance use; however, it could not support this Bill as written. Health Canada continues to advance work in support of the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions’ mandate to “advance a comprehensive strategy to address problematic substance use in Canada.”The Government of Canada is committed to continued collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, people with lived and living experience, stakeholders and partners, such as community-based organizations, to reduce the harms associated with substance use and providing people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need.
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Parliamentary Secretary Gary Anandasangaree1.    Bill C-5, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act was introduced on December 7, 2021. The Bill proposes amendments to ensure that responses to criminal offences are fair and effective, while ensuring that public safety is maintained. The proposed amendments to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) reinforce the Government’s commitment to address the ongoing opioid crisis. They would provide space to treat simple drug possession as a health issue, rather than as a criminal one, by requiring police and prosecutors to consider doing nothing, issuing a warning and diverting people to treatment programs or other supportive services, when appropriate, instead of charging and prosecuting someone for this conduct. The Bill would support police and prosecutors by enacting for the first time in the CDSA a declaration of principles to guide them in exercising discretion.  2.    As passed by the House of Commons, Bill C-5 would further address the stigma associated with simple drug possession by: (1) limiting the kind of information that may be kept in the police record of warning and the use that can be made of such records, as well as to whom these records may be disclosed; and, (2) providing for sequestration of past and future records of convictions for this offence after a certain period of time. 3.    The 2018 Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act provides that the Governor in Council may list an offence as eligible for expungement if the activity no longer constitutes an offence, and the criminalization of the activity was historically injustice. Bill C-5 does not propose to decriminalize simple drug possession. 
C-216, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to enact the Expungement of Certain Drug-related Convictions Act and the National Strategy on Substance Use ActDecriminalizationDrug use and abusePublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledNovember 16, 2022e-3932e-3932 (Health)MichaylaCarlsonLeahGazanWinnipeg CentreNDPMBMarch 16, 2022, at 8:38 a.m. (EDT)April 15, 2022, at 8:38 a.m. (EDT)October 3, 2022November 16, 2022April 19, 2022Petition to the <Addressee type="2" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">House of Commons in Parliament assembled</Addressee>Whereas:Menstrual items such as pads, tampons and menstrual cups are essential health necessities;Rural Canadian's face barriers to accessing urban services that provide access to menstrual necessities;The barriers of housing instability and a lack of information on where to access services contribute to period poverty;Provincial Governments do not receive specific funding to provide access to menstrual necessities; andProvinces are not obligated to provide access to menstrual necessities, despite the urgency of this health issue.We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to:1. Acknowledge the prevalence of period poverty in Canada;2. Address the barriers vulnerable Canadians face in accessing menstrual necessities;3. Delegate funding to provinces to administer the service of free access to menstrual necessities (pads, tampons and menstrual cups); and4. Ensure provinces provide equal and accessible service to menstrual necessities.
Response by the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and YouthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Jenna SuddsThe Government of Canada acknowledges that period poverty exists across Canada, and in April 2022, committed $25 million to pilot a national Menstrual Equity Fund to help make menstrual products available to those in need. Menstrual equity is the unhindered access to menstrual products, including access to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, access to education materials on the topic, and the ability to discuss issues pertaining to menstruation without fear or shame. Lack of access to menstrual products is closely linked to poverty and disproportionately impacts youth, single mothers, people experiencing homelessness, Indigenous peoples, immigrants, people living with disabilities, gender-diverse individuals, and those who live in remote areas.The Menstrual Equity Fund pilot is the latest step taken by the Government of Canada to help eliminate menstrual inequity, alongside undergoing initiatives led by Indigenous Services and the department of Labour working to respectively increase menstrual access in First Nations schools on reserve and federally regulated workplaces across Canada. These federal initiatives complement activities being undertaken by other levels of government and the private sector to increase access to free menstrual products.To inform the design of the Menstrual Equity Fund pilot, the Department for Women and GenderEquality (WAGE) has been conducting extensive research and engagement to better understand thecurrent landscape and community needs with regards to menstrual equity. Throughout ourengagement process, provinces and territories have been involved in sharing information aroundexisting programs and initiatives in their respective jurisdictions. WAGE is working toward launchingthe Menstrual Equity Fund pilot in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
Federal-provincial-territorial fiscal arrangementsMenstrual productsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledNovember 4, 2022e-3869e-3869 (Health)SophieKiwalaMarkGerretsenKingston and the IslandsLiberalONApril 21, 2022, at 1:14 p.m. (EDT)August 19, 2022, at 1:14 p.m. (EDT)September 21, 2022November 4, 2022August 30, 2022Petition to the <Addressee type="2" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">House of Commons in Parliament assembled</Addressee>Whereas:The drug poisoning crisis is devastating communities across Canada and current drug policies cause harm to people who use drugs;Disrupting drug overdose trends has never been more critical;Decriminalization will position drug use as a health issue, rather than an issue of morality, will power or criminal justice;From January 2016 to June 2021, there have been 24,626 opioid toxicity deaths in Canada with 3,515 from January to June 2021 alone;Over 30 countries have implemented some form of decriminalization and studied the impacts;Decriminalization reduces stigmatization, promotes access to harm reduction healthcare services, and reduces overdose deaths;Current drug policies are discriminatory and disproportionately harm low income and racialized communities;Canadian health, human rights and law enforcement sectors have endorsed decriminalization options; andIn 2017, societal costs associated with the use of drugs such as opioids and cocaine exceeded $3.5 billion in Ontario alone.We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to: 1. Decriminalize the use of drugs for personal use;2. Support the provinces in their efforts to respond to the drug poisoning crisis; and 3. Create a dedicated stakeholder-advised standing committee to respond to Canada's drug poisoning crisis that supports harm reduction, prevention, and treatment options for people who use substances.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe toxic illegal drug and overdose crisis is one of the most serious public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which is having devastating impacts on individuals, friends and families, and communities across the country. The Government recognizes that substance use is primarily a health issue, and is committed to a public health approach to address the crisis.The Government of Canada also recognizes that this crisis has only become more complex due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This has led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services such as life-saving harm reduction and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have 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.Our approach to the overdose crisis has been 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.The federal government is supporting policies and approaches that divert people who use drugs away from the criminal justice system and toward appropriate health service and social supports, when needed. For example:
  • The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was passed into law in May 2017, providing some legal protection from simple drug possession charges for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose.
  • In December 2021, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General for Canada reintroduced proposed legislative amendments (Bill C-5) that would encourage the use of diversion measures for personal drug possession offences, such as referral to health and social services, rather than laying a criminal charge. These amendments also propose to repeal mandatory minimum penalties for six offences in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) to reflect the Government’s public-health-focused approach to substance use.
  • These measures are consistent with the August 2020 Guidelines issued by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada directing prosecutors that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for the personal possession of drugs, except where public safety concerns arise.
  • Additionally, to help decrease stigma during police interactions with people who use drugs, in September 2020, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides frontline law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.
The Government of Canada is supporting policies and approaches for greater access to pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the toxic illegal drug supply – a practice often referred to as safer supply. Since 2020, Health Canada has supported 27 safer supply pilot projects across Canada through the Substance Use and Addictions Program, representing total funding of over $76 million. This includes supporting a range of service delivery projects in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, research/knowledge transfer and exchange projects, and a National Safer Supply Community of Practice to help share knowledge amongst stakeholders. We have also made a number of regulatory changes at the federal level to help improve access to drug treatment and safer supply programs, including:
  • issuing a class exemption (an exemption for a group of individuals, such as pharmacists, to lead specific activities with controlled substances), which allows each province and territory to establish urgent public health needs sites as required to make it easier for patients to access the medications they need;
  • approving injectable hydromorphone as a treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder;
  • approving injectable diacetylmorphine as a new treatment option for patients with severe opioid use disorder, as well as facilitating the prescribing and dispensing of both methadone and diacetylmorphine; and,
  • authorizing nurses who provide health care services at a community health facility to conduct certain activities with controlled substances.
In May 2022, at the request of the Province of British Columbia, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions granted a time-limited exemption under the CDSA so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. We have also received a request from Toronto Public Health and we are working with them toward a successful application.Each request for an exemption under the CDSA is carefully and thoroughly reviewed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account all relevant considerations, including evidence of potential benefits and risks or harms to the health and safety of Canadians.The Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis and working with partners, including provinces, territories and key stakeholders, to save lives.Under the CDSS, the federal government has collaborated with stakeholders and supported provinces and territories in an effort to address the toxic illegal drug and overdose crisis in a number of ways by investing more than $800M. This includes investing $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories in Budget 2018, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, resulted in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services. It also includes nearly $350 million through the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) to support community-based prevention, harm reduction and treatment initiatives. To date, SUAP has allocated all funds from Budgets 2017 to Budget 2021. In March 2022 the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions also announced a $45 million investment to develop national standards for mental health and substance use services. This effort was made in collaboration with provinces and territories, health organizations and key stakeholders, in order to address long-standing challenges in the delivery of mental health and substance use services and supports across the country.In response to substance use harms and the opioid overdose crisis, the Government of Canada is consulting regularly with stakeholders and has convened several expert advisory groups, including people directly impacted by substance use.The Government engages with people with lived and living experience (PWLLE) and organizations that represent them, including: regular bi-lateral meetings with key organizations, participation on projects teams, facilitating PWLLE engagement in government and ministerial events and meaningful consultations in order to better understand their perspectives of substance use and on-the-ground realities (e.g., roundtables, Knowledge Exchange Series, etc.).Recently, Health Canada has established the PWLLE Council, the Expert Advisory Group on Safer Supply and the Expert Task Force on Substance Use as part of this engagement strategy. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Substance Use (formerly Problematic Substance Use & Harms), and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners.The Government of Canada is committed to continued collaboration between jurisdictions, health providers, people with lived and living experience, stakeholders and partners, such as community-based organizations, to reduce the harms associated with substance use and provide people with the culturally appropriate and trauma-informed support they need.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abusePublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledSeptember 20, 2022441-00629441-00629 (Health)CherylGallantRenfrew—Nipissing—PembrokeConservativeONJune 22, 2022September 20, 2022March 7, 2022PETITION TO THE PRIME MINISTERWhereas:
  • Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canada's Bill of Rights, and Canada's history of sacrifice in defence of liberty, demand we respect and uphold the conscience rights of all Canadians; and
  • The Prime Minister has encouraged hatred and contempt towards individuals exercising their constitutionally protected conscience rights.
Therefore, we, the undersigned citizens of Canada, call upon the Prime Minister to:1- End pandemic mandates on the members of our Public Service, the Canadian Armed Forces personnel, all contractors subject to the federal mandates, and all federally regulated workers; and 2- Lift border restrictions related to the pandemic for all Canadians, including ceasing the covid testing required of Canadians upon returning to Canada.
Response by the President of the Treasury Board Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Greg FergusThe Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was implemented in the fall of 2021 when vaccination provided a high degree of protection against infection and transmission of COVID-19 viruses. This approach served as an effective public health measure to protect public servants and the communities they worked in.  All employees have had access to Public Health Agency of Canada/Health Canada information about vaccines and how they work so they could understand how vaccination helps protect them and their workplaces against COVID-19.The Policy is compliant with legislation, including the Privacy Act, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and collective agreements. On October 21, 2021, the Canadian Human Rights Commission published a guide on vaccination policies and human rights, which states that “Rights are not absolute. […] Requiring that an individual be vaccinated to work or travel is not a discriminatory practice under the Canadian Human Rights Act. Vaccination requirements are not a discriminatory practice because they are intended (and are necessary) to protect public health and safety.” The Policy provides for addressing requests for accommodation based on any prohibited ground of discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act, on a case-by-case basis.Based on the evolving nature of the pandemic and the scientific data, the Government of Canada announced on June 14th, 2022 that it would suspend vaccination requirements for federal government employees, and effective June 20, 2022, employees of the core public administration would no longer be required to be vaccinated as a condition of employment. Consequently, employees who had been placed on administrative leave without pay as per the Policy, could be reinstated as early as June 20, 2022.The decision to suspend the Policy is based on the latest scientific evidence related to vaccine effectiveness against transmission and infection with evolving COVID-19 variants. Suspending the Policy allows the Government to easily reinstate it as needed, based on science and public health risk, in the future. 
Response by the Minister of National DefenceSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Bryan MayThe Canadian Armed Forces is committed to maintaining its readiness to deliver on Government of Canada missions at home and around the world.Protecting the readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces means protecting the health and safety of its members. Therefore, the Chief of the Defence Staff issued directives requiring all Canadian Armed Forces members to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with the exception of individuals that cannot be fully vaccinated due to a certified medical contraindication, religious grounds, or any other prohibited ground of discrimination as defined in the Canadian Human Rights Act.COVID-19 vaccination is now included in the minimum standard for vaccination for all operations abroad and for most domestic operations. In addition to the operational requirement, the COVID-19 vaccination is a condition for enrolment into the Canadian Armed Forces.The Canadian Armed Forces is assessing the role of COVID-19 vaccination requirements as a preventative health measure, taking into consideration the best scientific and medical evidence available, operational considerations, and any risks to the health of its members in a persistent COVID-19 environment. In the meantime, the Chief of Defence directives will remain in effect. We will continue to prioritize the maintenance of a safe working environment, while remaining ready to conduct operations in support of Canadians.
Response by the Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Adam van KoeverdenTo help keep people in Canada safe, the Government of Canada put in place border measures to reduce the risk of the importation and transmission of COVID-19 and new variants in Canada related to international travel.Adjustments to Canada’s border measures are made possible by a number of factors, including Canada’s high vaccination rate, the increasing availability and use of rapid tests to detect infection, the decrease in hospitalizations, and the increasing availability of treatment for COVID-19 in Canada.As with any other element of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 response, the testing measures required of returning Canadians have been informed by available data, operational considerations, scientific evidence and monitoring of the epidemiological situation across Canada.Effective April 1, 2022, the Government has removed the requirement for pre-entry testing for fully vaccinated travellers entering Canada. Therefore, fully vaccinated travellers arriving at land, air or marine ports of entry are no longer required to complete a pre-entry test for entry to Canada. Travellers who do not qualify as fully vaccinated, will continue to require testing on day 1 and day 8 of their 14-day quarantine.The current requirements for travellers arriving in Canada are expected to remain in effect until September 30, 2022. Any easing or modification of the current border restrictions in Canada is done based on the latest scientific evidence and in close consultation with our provincial, territorial and international partners, including industry stakeholders, with the health and safety of Canadians as the top priority.As vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity improve, the Government of Canada will continue to consider further easing of measures at the borders, and when to lift or adjust those measures to keep people in Canada safe.
Response by the Minister of Public Services and ProcurementSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Anthony HousefatherOn June 14, 2022, the Government of Canada announced the suspension of mandatory vaccination for federalemployees effective June 20, 2022. In alignment with this measure, the Government of Canada will also be suspendingthe COVID-19 Vaccination Policy for Supplier Personnel.This means that as of June 20, 2022 and until further notice, the vaccination requirements of the policy will no longer bein effect.Please note that Supplier Personnel may still be required to comply with site-specific workplace health and safetymeasures that have been put in place by federal departments and agencies separately from the policy.Canada reserves the right to reinstate the policy in the future in alignment with public health guidelines and anyvaccination requirements for the public service. 
BordersCOVID-19Federally regulated employers and employeesPandemicPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledSeptember 20, 2022e-3937e-3937 (Health)NickMahuHon.PierrePoilievreCarletonConservativeONMarch 17, 2022, at 2:23 p.m. (EDT)April 16, 2022, at 2:23 p.m. (EDT)June 17, 2022September 20, 2022April 19, 2022Petition to the <Addressee type="1" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">Government of Canada</Addressee>Whereas:COVID-19 restrictions and mandates have been present in our lives for two years;Canadian provinces and jurisdictions around the world, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Israel, and several others, have ended all COVID-19 restrictions or have plans in place to do so;Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam has stated all existing public health policies need to be “re-examined” and that we “need to get back to some normalcy”;Liberal MP Joël Lightbound called upon the federal Government to present a plan to end COVID restrictions; andAccording to the Angus Reid Institute, 82% of Canadians agree that the pandemic has pulled people further apart, 54% of Canadians say their mental health has worsened since the start of the pandemic and 64% of Canadians support the removal of COVID-19 restrictions.We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to to immediately end all federal COVID-19 restrictions to restore freedom for all Canadians.
Response by the Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Adam van KoeverdenThe Government of Canada has implemented a multi-layered framework of travel and border measures to protect Canadians from the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.To help keep people in Canada safe, the Government of Canada put in place emergency border measures, which have been effective in reducing the risk of the importation and transmission of COVID-19 and new variants in Canada related to international travel.Unless otherwise exempt, all air travellers eligible to enter Canada who do not qualify as fully vaccinated (except children under age 5) will be tested with COVID-19 molecular tests within one calendar day of arrival and on Day 8 of their 14-day quarantine.Fully vaccinated travellers and accompanying children under 12 may be selected for mandatory random testing. The results from mandatory random testing help inform public health advice, track the importation of the COVID-19 virus into Canada, and to monitor new variants of concern that could pose a risk to the health and safety of Canadians and Canada’s ongoing economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.All travellers continue to be required to submit their mandatory information in ArriveCAN within 72 hours before arriving in Canada and/or before boarding a plane or cruise ship destined for Canada.Adjustments to Canada’s border measures are made possible by a number of factors, including Canada’s high vaccination rate, the increasing availability and use of rapid tests to detect infection, the decrease in hospitalizations, and the increasing availability of treatment for COVID-19 in Canada.The current requirements for travellers arriving in Canada are expected to remain in effect until September 30, 2022. Any easing or modification of the current border restrictions in Canada is done based on the latest scientific evidence and in close consultation with our provincial, territorial and international partners, including industry stakeholders, with the top priority being the health and safety of Canadians.As vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity improve, the Government of Canada will continue to consider further easing of measures at the borders, and when to lift or adjust those measures to keep people in Canada safe.
COVID-19PandemicPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledSeptember 20, 2022441-00575441-00575 (Health)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCJune 14, 2022September 20, 2022June 5, 2021Petition to the Government of CanadaWhereas opioid crisis is one of the most deadly public health emergencies of our lifetime, with a death taking place on average about every two hours and a death toll of almost 15,400 in the past four years alone (January 2016 to December 2019);Whereas the overdose crisis rages;We, the undersigned, call upon the Government of Canada to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency and:
  • Take steps to end overdose deaths and overdose injuries
  • Immediately collaborate with provinces and territories to develop a comprehensive, pan-Canadian overdose action plan
  • Ensure that any plan considers reforms that other countries have used, such as legal regulation of drugs to ensure safe, supply, decriminalization for personal use, and changes to flawed drug policy and policing.
  • Ensure this emergency is taken seriously with adequately funded programming and supports.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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. Tragically, the most recent national data indicates that 29 052 apparent opioid toxicity deaths occurred between January 2016 and December 2021. Fentanyl and its analogues continue to be major drivers of the crisis with as many as 86% of accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths in 2021 involving fentanyl.The Government of Canada also recognizes that this crisis has only become more complex due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services due to COVID-related health measures (such as social distancing requirements, isolation requirements, etc.) and staff shortages, such as life-saving harm reduction, pharmaceutical-grade supply and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have 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.With respect to the request to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency, the Emergencies Act is a federal law that can be used to respond to an urgent, temporary and critical national emergency that seriously endangers the lives, health or safety of Canadians, is of such proportions or nature that it exceeds the capacity or authority of a province to deal with it, and that cannot be dealt with effectively by any other law in Canada. The Emergencies Act is not an appropriate mechanism to address the ongoing overdose crisis, which requires a longer-term, sustained, and multi-jurisdictional effort to address the complex, interrelated health, social and economic factors driving opioid-related deaths and harms.The Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis and working with partners to save lives. At the federal level, legislation is not required to access important responses to the overdose crisis, which have included: reducing legislative and regulatory barriers; developing new prescription guidelines and marketing restrictions; launching a public awareness campaign; improving the knowledge base; supporting treatment, safe supply and harm reduction initiatives across Canada; and providing emergency funding to provinces and territories.Provinces and territories (PTs) have a range of tools and authorities to address the ongoing overdose crisis in their respective jurisdictions. For example, PTs fund and deliver the majority of direct social and health interventions, such as naloxone distribution, and safer consumption sites, that are shown to effectively reduce opioid overdoses deaths and harms. PTs and municipalities also have the power to declare a public health emergency in response to a significant increase in overdose-related deaths, as was the case for British Columbia in April 2016 and Alberta declaring a public health crisis in May 2017. More recently, Yukon declared a substance use health emergency in January 2022. The declaration of a PT public health emergency allows a PT government to access and exercise extraordinary powers to address a crisis.Canada’s approach to substance use issues 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. It includes four key pillars – prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and enforcement. 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2017, the Government of Canada has taken urgent action to address the overdose crisis through significant commitments of over $800 million. Recent examples in this area include:
  • over $282 million to the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, Budget 2021, and Budget 2022, in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide frontline services in a COVID-19 context, to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services;
  • $200 million, with $40 million per year ongoing, to enhance the delivery of culturally appropriate addictions treatment and prevention services in First Nations communities;
  • more than $20 million for Naloxone distribution, education and training; and,
  • $13 million over five years to launch a new national, multi-year public education campaign to help reshape Canadians’ attitudes and perceptions about people who use drugs.
In addition to these investments, in order to prevent and reduce substance-related harms, the Government of Canada has undertaken a broad range of policy, legislative and regulatory actions, such as:
  • approving exemptions to establish supervised consumption sites (since January 1, 2016, the number of supervised consumption sites operating in Canada has increased from 1 to 39), and providing provincial and territorial class exemptions to facilitate the establishment of Urgent Public Health Need Sites (commonly known as overdose prevention sites);
  • reducing barriers to providing people who use drugs with safer, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the toxic illegal drug supply and supporting 25 safer supply service delivery projects in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick, as well as a National Community of Practice, for a total investment of over $73.5 million (note: the number of active projects is subject to change as sites open and close);
  • providing guidance and leadership on the prescribing, dispensing, and delivery of opioids and other narcotics during the pandemic;
  • creating new regulatory pathways under the Food and Drugs Act and its regulations used to authorize medication used to treat addiction not otherwise available (e.g., approving diacetylmorphine hydrochloride as a supervised injectable opioid agonist therapy for adult patients with severe opioid use disorder and amending federal regulations to allow healthcare practitioners to provide diacetylmorphine-assisted treatment outside of a hospital setting, if permitted by their province or territory);
  • supporting the passage of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, which encourages people to seek emergency help at the scene of an overdose by providing some legal protection against simple drug possession charges;
  • introducing Bill C-5, which proposes amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act which, among other measures, would repeal mandatory minimum penalties for drug related-offences, and would require prosecutors to consider alternative measures to laying charges or prosecuting individuals for simple possession of drugs, including diversion to treatment programs; and,
  • at the request of the province of British Columbia, granting a time-limited exemption for three years under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs.
The Mandate Letter of the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health calls on the Minister to, “Advance a comprehensive strategy to address problematic substance use in Canada, supporting efforts to improve public education to reduce stigma, and supporting provinces and territories and working with Indigenous communities to provide access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction, as well as to create standards for substance use treatment programs.” The Government of Canada is continuing to work with provincial, territorial, Indigenous and municipal officials on options to address their regional needs. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Problematic Substance Use & Harms to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners. We are also collaborating with provinces and territories to better understand the evolving crisis, and undertaking timely monitoring and reporting of opioid-related deaths and harms in Canada. Public health officers from the Public Health Agency of Canada have been deployed to support public health surveillance systems in provinces and territories.In addition, engagement with civil society organizations, direct care service providers, academics, people with lived and living experience, and other key stakeholders continues to inform federal actions to reduce opioid-related overdoses and deaths and improve the health and wellbeing of Canadians. For example, we continue to engage with stakeholders to inform them about safer supply and encourage them to look and work within their sphere of influence to remove barriers to this practice. Safer supply services provide a pharmaceutical alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply as a way to help prevent overdoses, improve the health of people who use drugs, and help connect people to trusted and supportive relationships in health and social services. Health Canada is supporting a number of safer supply projects through the Substance Use and Additions Program (SUAP). We have also taken action to increase access to safer supply services by:
  • helping to build the evidence base for safer supply by supporting the evaluation of pilot projects and seeking expert advice, including from health professionals and people who use drugs; 
  • making it easier to access needed medications, including issuing exemptions from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; and,
  • sharing resources and guidance on treating substance use disorder for the use of healthcare practitioners.
The Government of Canada is also taking action to ensure that our enforcement response is focused on organized drug crime and the cross-border movement of illegal substances and the precursor chemicals that are used to make many of them. As Canada’s national police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) detects, investigates, and disrupts the most serious and complex criminal threats to the safety and security of Canadians and Canadian interests, including transnational and serious organized crime (TSOC) and the illegal drug market. At our borders, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is working to reduce the flow of illegal opioids and related substances, precursor chemicals, and other controlled substances. Efforts to disrupt the involvement of organized crime groups in the production, trafficking, and sale of what are now increasingly toxic substances remain critical, including in support of public health measures to prevent, treat, and reduce the harms associated with the use of those substances. Recent and/or ongoing federal activities include:
  • acquisition of new infrastructure and tools required to assist in the safe examination and sampling of suspected highly toxic substances in addition to increasing intelligence, targeting, and training support;
  • investigating TSOC networks that traffic multiple commodities, within Canada and internationally, as well as online vendors and manufacturers;
  • providing an integrated policing response to drug trafficking and organized crime networks by working closely with local law enforcement agencies, as well as private industry partners, including chemical producers, retailers and distributors, to limit the chemicals used for legitimate purposes from being diverted for the illegal production of controlled substances; and,
  • maintaining strong relationships with international partners, including the United States of America, to support joint operations and investigations involving cross-border drug activity, as well as to facilitate productive policy dialogue and information exchange.
Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of illegal drugs for personal use can perpetuate stigma, increase risks of overdose and other harms, and increase barriers to care. Canada recognizes that drug use stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help ensure that stigma is not present in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides frontline law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The federal government is committed to using every tool at its disposal and examining all evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and towards supportive and trusted relationships in health and social services. In addition to the passage of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act in May 2017, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada issued guidance to prosecutors directing that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for personal possession offences, except when there are serious aggravating circumstances.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue, and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
Drug use and abuseHealth emergenciesOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledSeptember 20, 2022441-00562441-00562 (Health)ElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCJune 13, 2022September 20, 2022May 18, 2022PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLEDWhereas:
  • The overdose crisis in Canada is a public health emergency, as has already been declared by British Columbia's Provincial Health Officer and several municipalities across Canada;
  • More than 13,900 individuals have died of opioid-related deaths and there have been 17,050 opioid-related poisoning hospitalizations in Canada since 2016;
  • There is disproportionate representation of Indigenous people affected by the overdose crisis; and
  • The Canadian Public Health Association, the Global Commission on Drug Policy, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations, have recommended drug decriminalization.
We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to:
  • Declare a public health emergency due to overdose deaths in Canada;
  • Reframe the overdose crisis in Canada as a health issue rather than a criminal issue;
  • Take a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to the overdose crisis, by addressing issues of addiction, poverty, housing, health care, racial discrimination, and economic inequality and instability;
  • Listen to and act on recommendations made by social workers, front-line workers, nurses, doctors, drug users, and individuals directly involved in the drug-using community; and
  • Decriminalize drugs in Canada.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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. Tragically, the most recent national data indicates that 29 052 apparent opioid toxicity deaths occurred between January 2016 and December 2021. Fentanyl and its analogues continue to be major drivers of the crisis with as many as 86% of accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths in 2021 involving fentanyl.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the crisis has only become more complex due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services due to COVID-related health measures (such as social distancing requirements, isolation requirements, etc.) and staff shortages, such as life-saving harm reduction, pharmaceutical-grade supply and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have 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.With respect to the request to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency, the Emergencies Act is a federal law that can be used to respond to an urgent, temporary and critical national emergency that seriously endangers the lives, health or safety of Canadians, is of such proportions or nature that it exceeds the capacity or authority of a province to deal with it, and that cannot be dealt with effectively by any other law in Canada. The Emergencies Act is not an appropriate mechanism to address the ongoing overdose crisis, which requires a longer-term, sustained, and multi-jurisdictional effort to address the complex, interrelated health, social and economic factors driving opioid-related deaths and harms.The Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis and working with partners across all provinces and territories to save lives. At the federal level, we have taken action by: reducing legislative and regulatory barriers; developing new prescription guidelines and marketing restrictions; launching a public awareness campaign; improving the knowledge base; supporting treatment, safe supply and harm reduction initiatives across Canada; and, providing emergency funding to provinces and territories.Provinces and territories have a range of tools and authorities to address the ongoing overdose crisis in their respective jurisdictions. For example, provinces and territories fund and deliver the majority of direct social and health interventions, such as naloxone distribution and safer consumption sites, which are shown to effectively reduce overdoses deaths and harms. Provinces, territories and municipalities also have the power to declare a public health emergency in response to a significant increase in overdose-related deaths, as was the case for British Columbia in April 2016 and Alberta declaring a public health crisis in May 2017. More recently, Yukon declared a substance use health emergency in January 2022. The declaration of a provincial and territorial public health emergency allows a provincial and territorial government to access and exercise extraordinary powers to address a crisis. The Emergencies Act is not an appropriate mechanism to address the ongoing overdose crisis, which requires a longer-term, sustained, and multi-jurisdictional effort to address the complex, interrelated health, social and economic factors driving opioid-related deaths and harms.The Government recognizes that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. Canada’s approach to substance use issues 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. It includes four key pillars – prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and enforcement. 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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 Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis and working with partners to save lives. Since 2017, the federal government has taken significant actions and made commitments of over $800M to address the overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. Recent examples of key federal investments in this area include:
  • over $282 million to the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, Budget 2021 and Budget 2022 in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide direct services in a COVID-19 context and to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services;
  • $200 million, with $40 million per year ongoing, to enhance the delivery of culturally appropriate addictions treatment and prevention services in First Nations communities;
  • more than $20 million for Naloxone distribution, education and training; and,
  • $13 million over five years to launch a new national, multi-year public education campaign to help reshape Canadians’ attitudes and perceptions about people who use drugs.
In addition to these investments, in order to prevent and reduce substance-related harms, the Government of Canada has undertaken a broad range of policy, legislative and regulatory actions, such as:
  • approving exemptions to establish supervised consumption sites (since January 1, 2016, the number of supervised consumption sites operating in Canada has increased from 1 to 39), and providing provincial and territorial class exemptions to facilitate the establishment of Urgent Public Health Need Sites (commonly known as overdose prevention sites);
  • reducing barriers to providing people who use drugs with safer, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the toxic illegal drug supply and supporting 25 safer supply service delivery projects in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, as well as a National Safer Supply Community of Practice, for a total investment of more than $73.5 million (note: the number of active projects is subject to change as sites open and close);
  • providing guidance and leadership on the prescribing, dispensing, and delivery of opioids and other narcotics during the pandemic;
  • creating new regulatory pathways under the Food and Drugs Act and its regulations used to authorize medication used to treat addiction not otherwise available (e.g., approving diacetylmorphine hydrochloride as a supervised injectable opioid agonist therapy for adult patients with severe opioid disorder and amending federal regulations to allow healthcare practitioners to provide diacetylmorphine-assisted treatment outside of a hospital setting, if permitted by their province or territory); and,
  • supporting the passage of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, which encourages people to seek emergency help at the scene of an overdose by providing some legal protection against simple drug possession charges.
The Mandate Letter of the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health calls on the Minister to, “Advance a comprehensive strategy to address problematic substance use in Canada, supporting efforts to improve public education to reduce stigma, and supporting provinces and territories and working with Indigenous communities to provide access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction, as well as to create standards for substance use treatment programs.” The Government of Canada is continuing to work with provincial, territorial, Indigenous and municipal officials on options to address their regional needs. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Problematic Substance Use and Harms to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners. We are also collaborating with provinces and territories to better understand the evolving crisis, and undertaking timely monitoring and reporting of opioid-related deaths and harms in Canada. Public health officers from the Public Health Agency of Canada have been deployed to support public health surveillance systems in provinces and territories.In addition, engagement with civil society organizations, direct care service providers, academics, people with lived and living experience, and other key stakeholders continues to inform federal actions to reduce opioid-related overdoses and deaths and improve the health and wellbeing of Canadians who use drugs. For example, we continue to engage with stakeholders to inform them about safer supply and encourage them to look and work within their sphere of influence to remove barriers to this practice. Safer supply services provide a pharmaceutical alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply as a way to help prevent overdoses, improve the health of people who use drugs, and help connect people to trusted and supportive relationships in health and social services.Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of illegal drugs for personal use can perpetuate stigma, increase risks of overdose and other harms, and increase barriers to care. Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The federal government is committed to using every tool at its disposal and examining all evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems to access supportive health and social services and build those truly important trusted relationships. In addition to the passage of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act in May 2017, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada issued guidance to prosecutors directing that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for personal possession offences, except when there are serious aggravating circumstances.Furthermore, Bill C-5, which was reintroduced in the House of Commons on December 7, 2021, proposes legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Among other measures, the amendments would encourage the use of diversion measures for personal drug possession offences, such as referral to health and social services, rather than laying a criminal charge. These amendments also propose to repeal mandatory minimum penalties for six offences in the CDSA to reflect the Government’s health-focused approach to substance use.On May 31, 2022, at the request of the province of B.C., the Federal Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health announced the granting of a time-limited exemption under the CDSA so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. More information on the exemption is available here. The exemption will be in effect from January 31, 2023 to January 31, 2026. Throughout the exemption period, the federal government will work with the province to rigorously monitor and evaluate implementation, analyze the data and evidence, and assess impact to ensure this exemption continues to be the right decision for the people of B.C.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue, and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abuseOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledSeptember 20, 2022441-00501441-00501 (Health)ElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCMay 19, 2022September 20, 2022May 10, 2022PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLEDWhereas:
  • The overdose crisis in Canada is a public health emergency, as has already been declared by British Columbia's Provincial Health Officer and several municipalities across Canada;
  • More than 13,900 individuals have died of opioid-related deaths and there have been 17,050 opioid-related poisoning hospitalizations in Canada since 2016;
  • There is disproportionate representation of Indigenous people affected by the overdose crisis; and
  • The Canadian Public Health Association, the Global Commission on Drug Policy, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations, have recommended drug decriminalization.
We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to:
  • Declare a public health emergency due to overdose deaths in Canada;
  • Reframe the overdose crisis in Canada as a health issue rather than a criminal issue;
  • Take a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to the overdose crisis, by addressing issues of addiction, poverty, housing, health care, racial discrimination, and economic inequality and instability;
  • Listen to and act on recommendations made by social workers, front-line workers, nurses, doctors, drug users, and individuals directly involved in the drug-using community; and
  • Decriminalize drugs in Canada.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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. Tragically, the most recent national data indicates that 29 052 apparent opioid toxicity deaths occurred between January 2016 and December 2021. Fentanyl and its analogues continue to be major drivers of the crisis with as many as 86% of accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths in 2021 involving fentanyl.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the crisis has only become more complex due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services due to COVID-related health measures (such as social distancing requirements, isolation requirements, etc.) and staff shortages, such as life-saving harm reduction, pharmaceutical-grade supply and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have 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.With respect to the request to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency, the Emergencies Act is a federal law that can be used to respond to an urgent, temporary and critical national emergency that seriously endangers the lives, health or safety of Canadians, is of such proportions or nature that it exceeds the capacity or authority of a province to deal with it, and that cannot be dealt with effectively by any other law in Canada. The Emergencies Act is not an appropriate mechanism to address the ongoing overdose crisis, which requires a longer-term, sustained, and multi-jurisdictional effort to address the complex, interrelated health, social and economic factors driving opioid-related deaths and harms.The Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis and working with partners across all provinces and territories to save lives. At the federal level, we have taken action by: reducing legislative and regulatory barriers; developing new prescription guidelines and marketing restrictions; launching a public awareness campaign; improving the knowledge base; supporting treatment, safe supply and harm reduction initiatives across Canada; and, providing emergency funding to provinces and territories.Provinces and territories have a range of tools and authorities to address the ongoing overdose crisis in their respective jurisdictions. For example, provinces and territories fund and deliver the majority of direct social and health interventions, such as naloxone distribution and safer consumption sites, which are shown to effectively reduce overdoses deaths and harms. Provinces, territories and municipalities also have the power to declare a public health emergency in response to a significant increase in overdose-related deaths, as was the case for British Columbia in April 2016 and Alberta declaring a public health crisis in May 2017. More recently, Yukon declared a substance use health emergency in January 2022. The declaration of a provincial and territorial public health emergency allows a provincial and territorial government to access and exercise extraordinary powers to address a crisis. The Emergencies Act is not an appropriate mechanism to address the ongoing overdose crisis, which requires a longer-term, sustained, and multi-jurisdictional effort to address the complex, interrelated health, social and economic factors driving opioid-related deaths and harms.The Government recognizes that social determinants of health, such as poverty, discrimination, and trauma, can place individuals at an increased risk of substance use harms and that the approaches to reduce these harms require sustained efforts and supports from diverse systems. Canada’s approach to substance use issues 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. It includes four key pillars – prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and enforcement. 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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 Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis and working with partners to save lives. Since 2017, the federal government has taken significant actions and made commitments of over $800M to address the overdose crisis and substance use-related harms. Recent examples of key federal investments in this area include:
  • over $282 million to the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, Budget 2021 and Budget 2022 in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide direct services in a COVID-19 context and to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services;
  • $200 million, with $40 million per year ongoing, to enhance the delivery of culturally appropriate addictions treatment and prevention services in First Nations communities;
  • more than $20 million for Naloxone distribution, education and training; and,
  • $13 million over five years to launch a new national, multi-year public education campaign to help reshape Canadians’ attitudes and perceptions about people who use drugs.
In addition to these investments, in order to prevent and reduce substance-related harms, the Government of Canada has undertaken a broad range of policy, legislative and regulatory actions, such as:
  • approving exemptions to establish supervised consumption sites (since January 1, 2016, the number of supervised consumption sites operating in Canada has increased from 1 to 39), and providing provincial and territorial class exemptions to facilitate the establishment of Urgent Public Health Need Sites (commonly known as overdose prevention sites);
  • reducing barriers to providing people who use drugs with safer, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the toxic illegal drug supply and supporting 25 safer supply service delivery projects in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, as well as a National Safer Supply Community of Practice, for a total investment of more than $73.5 million (note: the number of active projects is subject to change as sites open and close);
  • providing guidance and leadership on the prescribing, dispensing, and delivery of opioids and other narcotics during the pandemic;
  • creating new regulatory pathways under the Food and Drugs Act and its regulations used to authorize medication used to treat addiction not otherwise available (e.g., approving diacetylmorphine hydrochloride as a supervised injectable opioid agonist therapy for adult patients with severe opioid disorder and amending federal regulations to allow healthcare practitioners to provide diacetylmorphine-assisted treatment outside of a hospital setting, if permitted by their province or territory); and,
  • supporting the passage of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, which encourages people to seek emergency help at the scene of an overdose by providing some legal protection against simple drug possession charges.
The Mandate Letter of the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health calls on the Minister to, “Advance a comprehensive strategy to address problematic substance use in Canada, supporting efforts to improve public education to reduce stigma, and supporting provinces and territories and working with Indigenous communities to provide access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction, as well as to create standards for substance use treatment programs.” The Government of Canada is continuing to work with provincial, territorial, Indigenous and municipal officials on options to address their regional needs. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Problematic Substance Use and Harms to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners. We are also collaborating with provinces and territories to better understand the evolving crisis, and undertaking timely monitoring and reporting of opioid-related deaths and harms in Canada. Public health officers from the Public Health Agency of Canada have been deployed to support public health surveillance systems in provinces and territories.In addition, engagement with civil society organizations, direct care service providers, academics, people with lived and living experience, and other key stakeholders continues to inform federal actions to reduce opioid-related overdoses and deaths and improve the health and wellbeing of Canadians who use drugs. For example, we continue to engage with stakeholders to inform them about safer supply and encourage them to look and work within their sphere of influence to remove barriers to this practice. Safer supply services provide a pharmaceutical alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply as a way to help prevent overdoses, improve the health of people who use drugs, and help connect people to trusted and supportive relationships in health and social services.Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of illegal drugs for personal use can perpetuate stigma, increase risks of overdose and other harms, and increase barriers to care. Canada recognizes that stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help reduce stigma in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The federal government is committed to using every tool at its disposal and examining all evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems to access supportive health and social services and build those truly important trusted relationships. In addition to the passage of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act in May 2017, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada issued guidance to prosecutors directing that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for personal possession offences, except when there are serious aggravating circumstances.Furthermore, Bill C-5, which was reintroduced in the House of Commons on December 7, 2021, proposes legislative amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Among other measures, the amendments would encourage the use of diversion measures for personal drug possession offences, such as referral to health and social services, rather than laying a criminal charge. These amendments also propose to repeal mandatory minimum penalties for six offences in the CDSA to reflect the Government’s health-focused approach to substance use.On May 31, 2022, at the request of the province of B.C., the Federal Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health announced the granting of a time-limited exemption under the CDSA so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs. More information on the exemption is available here. The exemption will be in effect from January 31, 2023 to January 31, 2026. Throughout the exemption period, the federal government will work with the province to rigorously monitor and evaluate implementation, analyze the data and evidence, and assess impact to ensure this exemption continues to be the right decision for the people of B.C.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue, and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abuseOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledSeptember 20, 2022441-00498441-00498 (Health)LenWebberCalgary ConfederationConservativeABMay 19, 2022September 20, 2022May 10, 2022Petition to the Government of CanadaWhereas: The opioid crisis is one of the most deadly public health emergencies of our lifetime, with a death taking place on average every two hours and a death toll of 22,828 in the past five and one quarter years (January 2016 to March 2021); andThe overdose crisis rages.We, the undersigned, call upon the Government of Canada to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency and:Take steps to end overdose deaths and overdose injuries Immediately collaborate with provinces and territories to develop a comprehensive, pan-Canadian overdose action plan Ensure that any plan considers reforms that other countries have used, such as legal regulation of drugs to ensure safe supply, decriminalization for personal use, and changes to flawed drug policy and policing; and Ensure this emergency is taken seriously with adequately funded programming and supports.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which 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. Tragically, the most recent national data indicates that 29 052 apparent opioid toxicity deaths occurred between January 2016 and December 2021. Fentanyl and its analogues continue to be major drivers of the crisis with as many as 86% of accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths in 2021 involving fentanyl.The Government of Canada also recognizes that this crisis has only become more complex due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services due to COVID-related health measures (such as social distancing requirements, isolation requirements, etc.) and staff shortages, such as life-saving harm reduction, pharmaceutical-grade supply and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have 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.With respect to the request to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency, the Emergencies Act is a federal law that can be used to respond to an urgent, temporary and critical national emergency that seriously endangers the lives, health or safety of Canadians, is of such proportions or nature that it exceeds the capacity or authority of a province to deal with it, and that cannot be dealt with effectively by any other law in Canada. The Emergencies Act is not an appropriate mechanism to address the ongoing overdose crisis, which requires a longer-term, sustained, and multi-jurisdictional effort to address the complex, interrelated health, social and economic factors driving opioid-related deaths and harms.The Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis and working with partners to save lives. At the federal level, legislation is not required to access important responses to the overdose crisis, which have included: reducing legislative and regulatory barriers; developing new prescription guidelines and marketing restrictions; launching a public awareness campaign; improving the knowledge base; supporting treatment, safe supply and harm reduction initiatives across Canada; and providing emergency funding to provinces and territories.Provinces and territories (PTs) have a range of tools and authorities to address the ongoing overdose crisis in their respective jurisdictions. For example, PTs fund and deliver the majority of direct social and health interventions, such as naloxone distribution, and safer consumption sites, that are shown to effectively reduce opioid overdoses deaths and harms. PTs and municipalities also have the power to declare a public health emergency in response to a significant increase in overdose-related deaths, as was the case for British Columbia in April 2016 and Alberta declaring a public health crisis in May 2017. More recently, Yukon declared a substance use health emergency in January 2022. The declaration of a PT public health emergency allows a PT government to access and exercise extraordinary powers to address a crisis.Canada’s approach to substance use issues 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. It includes four key pillars – prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and enforcement. 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2017, the Government of Canada has taken urgent action to address the overdose crisis through significant commitments of over $800 million. Recent examples in this area include:
  • over $282 million to the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, Budget 2021, and Budget 2022, in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide frontline services in a COVID-19 context, to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services;
  • $200 million, with $40 million per year ongoing, to enhance the delivery of culturally appropriate addictions treatment and prevention services in First Nations communities;
  • more than $20 million for Naloxone distribution, education and training; and,
  • $13 million over five years to launch a new national, multi-year public education campaign to help reshape Canadians’ attitudes and perceptions about people who use drugs.
In addition to these investments, in order to prevent and reduce substance-related harms, the Government of Canada has undertaken a broad range of policy, legislative and regulatory actions, such as:
  • approving exemptions to establish supervised consumption sites (since January 1, 2016, the number of supervised consumption sites operating in Canada has increased from 1 to 39), and providing provincial and territorial class exemptions to facilitate the establishment of Urgent Public Health Need Sites (commonly known as overdose prevention sites);
  • reducing barriers to providing people who use drugs with safer, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the toxic illegal drug supply and supporting 25 safer supply service delivery projects in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick, as well as a National Community of Practice, for a total investment of over $73.5 million (note: the number of active projects is subject to change as sites open and close);
  • providing guidance and leadership on the prescribing, dispensing, and delivery of opioids and other narcotics during the pandemic;
  • creating new regulatory pathways under the Food and Drugs Act and its regulations used to authorize medication used to treat addiction not otherwise available (e.g., approving diacetylmorphine hydrochloride as a supervised injectable opioid agonist therapy for adult patients with severe opioid use disorder and amending federal regulations to allow healthcare practitioners to provide diacetylmorphine-assisted treatment outside of a hospital setting, if permitted by their province or territory);
  • supporting the passage of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, which encourages people to seek emergency help at the scene of an overdose by providing some legal protection against simple drug possession charges;
  • introducing Bill C-5, which proposes amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act which, among other measures, would repeal mandatory minimum penalties for drug related-offences, and would require prosecutors to consider alternative measures to laying charges or prosecuting individuals for simple possession of drugs, including diversion to treatment programs; and,
  • at the request of the province of British Columbia, granting a time-limited exemption for three years under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act so that adults 18 years of age and older in the province will not be subject to criminal charges for personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs.
The Mandate Letter of the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health calls on the Minister to, “Advance a comprehensive strategy to address problematic substance use in Canada, supporting efforts to improve public education to reduce stigma, and supporting provinces and territories and working with Indigenous communities to provide access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction, as well as to create standards for substance use treatment programs.” The Government of Canada is continuing to work with provincial, territorial, Indigenous and municipal officials on options to address their regional needs. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Problematic Substance Use & Harms to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners. We are also collaborating with provinces and territories to better understand the evolving crisis, and undertaking timely monitoring and reporting of opioid-related deaths and harms in Canada. Public health officers from the Public Health Agency of Canada have been deployed to support public health surveillance systems in provinces and territories.In addition, engagement with civil society organizations, direct care service providers, academics, people with lived and living experience, and other key stakeholders continues to inform federal actions to reduce opioid-related overdoses and deaths and improve the health and wellbeing of Canadians. For example, we continue to engage with stakeholders to inform them about safer supply and encourage them to look and work within their sphere of influence to remove barriers to this practice. Safer supply services provide a pharmaceutical alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply as a way to help prevent overdoses, improve the health of people who use drugs, and help connect people to trusted and supportive relationships in health and social services. Health Canada is supporting a number of safer supply projects through the Substance Use and Additions Program (SUAP). We have also taken action to increase access to safer supply services by:
  • helping to build the evidence base for safer supply by supporting the evaluation of pilot projects and seeking expert advice, including from health professionals and people who use drugs; 
  • making it easier to access needed medications, including issuing exemptions from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; and,
  • sharing resources and guidance on treating substance use disorder for the use of healthcare practitioners.
The Government of Canada is also taking action to ensure that our enforcement response is focused on organized drug crime and the cross-border movement of illegal substances and the precursor chemicals that are used to make many of them. As Canada’s national police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) detects, investigates, and disrupts the most serious and complex criminal threats to the safety and security of Canadians and Canadian interests, including transnational and serious organized crime (TSOC) and the illegal drug market. At our borders, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is working to reduce the flow of illegal opioids and related substances, precursor chemicals, and other controlled substances. Efforts to disrupt the involvement of organized crime groups in the production, trafficking, and sale of what are now increasingly toxic substances remain critical, including in support of public health measures to prevent, treat, and reduce the harms associated with the use of those substances. Recent and/or ongoing federal activities include:
  • acquisition of new infrastructure and tools required to assist in the safe examination and sampling of suspected highly toxic substances in addition to increasing intelligence, targeting, and training support;
  • investigating TSOC networks that traffic multiple commodities, within Canada and internationally, as well as online vendors and manufacturers;
  • providing an integrated policing response to drug trafficking and organized crime networks by working closely with local law enforcement agencies, as well as private industry partners, including chemical producers, retailers and distributors, to limit the chemicals used for legitimate purposes from being diverted for the illegal production of controlled substances; and,
  • maintaining strong relationships with international partners, including the United States of America, to support joint operations and investigations involving cross-border drug activity, as well as to facilitate productive policy dialogue and information exchange.
Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of illegal drugs for personal use can perpetuate stigma, increase risks of overdose and other harms, and increase barriers to care. Canada recognizes that drug use stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help ensure that stigma is not present in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides frontline law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The federal government is committed to using every tool at its disposal and examining all evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and towards supportive and trusted relationships in health and social services. In addition to the passage of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act in May 2017, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada issued guidance to prosecutors directing that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for personal possession offences, except when there are serious aggravating circumstances.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue, and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abuseOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament229Not certifiedSeptember 20, 2022e-4025e-4025 (Health)PaulManlyMikeMorriceKitchener CentreGreen PartyONMay 20, 2022, at 2:12 p.m. (EDT)September 17, 2022, at 2:12 p.m. (EDT)September 20, 2022Petition to the <Addressee type="3" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">Government of Canada</Addressee>Whereas:The overdose crisis in Canada is a public health emergency;More than 26,690 individuals have died of opioid-related deaths and there have been 29,228 opioid-related poisoning hospitalizations in Canada since 2016;There is disproportionate representation of Indigenous people affected by the poisoning crisis; and,The Canadian Public Health Association, the Global Commission on Drug Policy, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations have recommended drug decriminalization.We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:1. Declare a public health emergency due to overdose deaths in Canada;2. Reframe the overdose crisis in Canada as a health issue rather than a criminal issue;3. Take a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to the overdose crisis, by addressing issues of addiction, poverty, housing, health care, systemic racism, and economic inequality and instability;4. Listen to and act on recommendations made by social workers, front-line workers, nurses, doctors, drug users, and individuals directly involved in the drug-using community; and5. Decriminalize drugs in Canada.DecriminalizationDrug use and abuseOpiates and opioidsPublic health44th Parliament223Government response tabledAugust 17, 2022441-00497441-00497 (Health)CherylGallantRenfrew—Nipissing—PembrokeConservativeONMay 19, 2022August 17, 2022March 9, 2022PETITION TO THE PRIME MINISTERWhereas:
  • Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canada's Bill of Rights, and Canada's history of sacrifice in defence of liberty, demand we respect and uphold the conscience rights of all Canadians; and
  • The Prime Minister has encouraged hatred and contempt towards individuals exercising their constitutionally protected conscience rights.
Therefore, we, the undersigned citizens of Canada, call upon the Prime Minister to:1- End pandemic mandates on the members of our Public Service, the Canadian Armed Forces personnel, all contractors subject to the federal mandates, and all federally regulated workers; and 2- Lift border restrictions related to the pandemic for all Canadians, including ceasing the covid testing required of Canadians upon returning to Canada.
Response by the President of the Treasury Board Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Greg FergusAs the country’s largest employer, the Government of Canada is leading by example. Having a fully vaccinated workforce means that not only are worksites safer, so are the communities where this large population lives and works. It also means better protection for Canadians accessing government services in person.On October 6, 2021, the Treasury Board of Canada announced its Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.The Policy is compliant with legislation, including the Privacy Act, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and collective agreements. The Policy provides for addressing requests for accommodation based on any prohibited ground of discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act, on a case-by-case basis. On October 21, 2021, the Canadian Human Rights Commission published a guide on vaccination policies and human rights, which states that “Rights are not absolute. […] Requiring that an individual be vaccinated to work or travel is not a discriminatory practice under the Canadian Human Rights Act. Vaccination requirements are not a discriminatory practice because they are intended (and are necessary) to protect public health and safety.”
Response by the Minister of Public Services and ProcurementSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Anthony HousefatherThe Government of Canada requires that all public service employees be fully vaccinated to access federal government facilities. This approach ensures that federal workplaces are kept safe and that employees who work in them are protected.In support of this policy, the Government also requires any contracted personnel accessing federal government workplaces to be fully vaccinated. This requirement for contracted personnel took effect on November 15, 2021. Any contractor whose personnel must access a federal government workplace is required to certify that the personnel are fully vaccinated. Completed certifications will be kept on file. Monitoring will be performed by organizations receiving the contractor’s services.
Response by the Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Adam van KoeverdenThe Government of Canada has implemented a multi-layered framework of travel and border measures to protect Canadians by preventing travel from being a source for the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.Adjustments to Canada’s border measures are made possible by a number of factors, including Canada’s high vaccination rate, the increasing availability and use of rapid tests to detect infection, the decrease in hospitalizations, and the increasing availability of treatment for COVID-19 in Canada.As with any other element of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 response, the testing measures required of returning Canadians have been informed by available data, operational considerations, scientific evidence and monitoring of the epidemiological situation across Canada.As the importation rate of disease at the border has significantly reduced since January 2022, the Government of Canada has reassessed and adjusted its border measures.Effective April 1, 2022, the Government has removed the requirement for pre-entry testing for fully vaccinated travellers entering Canada. Therefore, fully vaccinated travellers arriving at land, air or marine ports of entry are no longer required to complete a pre-entry test for entry to Canada.Additionally, effective April 25, 2022, partially and unvaccinated children aged 5-11, who are accompanied by a fully vaccinated parent or guardian, are no longer required to complete a pre-entry COVID-19 test for entry to Canada, but will be subject to mandatory randomized testing on-arrival to Canada. Fully vaccinated travellers, children aged 5-11 (who are accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult), and those with a medical contraindication to COVID-19 vaccination are no longer required to provide quarantine plans when travelling into Canada.Fully vaccinated travellers are no longer required to:
  • monitor and report if they develop signs or symptoms;
  • mask while in public spaces;
  • quarantine if another traveller in the same travel group exhibits signs or symptoms or tests positive; and,
  • maintain a list of close contacts and locations for 14 days after arriving in Canada.
Travellers who do not qualify as fully vaccinated must continue to provide proof of an accepted pre-entry COVID-19 test result, test on arrival and on Day 8 and quarantine for 14 days.Any easing or modification of the current border restrictions in Canada is done based on the latest scientific evidence and in close consultation with our provincial, territorial and international partners, including industry stakeholders, with the health and safety of Canadians as the first priority.As vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity improve, the Government of Canada will continue to consider further easing of measures at the borders, and when to lift or adjust those measures to keep people in Canada safe.
Response by the Minister of National DefenceSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Bryan MayThe Canadian Armed Forces is committed to maintaining its readiness to deliver on Government of Canada missions at home and around the world.Protecting the readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces means protecting the health and safety of its members. Therefore, the Chief of the Defence Staff issued directives requiring all Canadian Armed Forces members to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with the exception of individuals that cannot be fully vaccinated due to a certified medical contraindication, religious grounds, or any other prohibited ground of discrimination as defined in the Canadian Human Rights Act.COVID-19 vaccination is now included in the minimum standard for vaccination for all operations abroad and for most domestic operations. In addition to the operational requirement, the COVID-19 vaccination is a condition for enrolment into the Canadian Armed Forces.The Canadian Armed Forces is assessing the role of COVID-19 vaccination requirements as a preventative health measure, taking into consideration the best scientific and medical evidence available, operational considerations, and any risks to the health of its members in a persistent COVID-19 environment. In the meantime, the Chief of Defence directives will remain in effect. We will continue to prioritize the maintenance of a safe working environment, while remaining ready to conduct operations in support of Canadians.
BordersCOVID-19Federally regulated employers and employeesPandemicPublic health
44th Parliament229Not certifiedJune 28, 2022e-3943e-3943 (Health)LesleeHynesBonitaZarrilloPort Moody—CoquitlamNDPBCMarch 25, 2022, at 8:41 a.m. (EDT)June 23, 2022, at 8:41 a.m. (EDT)June 28, 2022Petition to the <Addressee type="3" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">Government of Canada</Addressee>Whereas:Data shows that most illicit drug toxicity deaths detect fentanyl and carfentanil;Current safer supply access does not fully encompass the needs of all substance users, creating a system full of barriers that make users continue to rely on street drugs;Overdoses are only increasing, creating a public health crisis;Current policies only further enforce stigma;Almost half of Canadians have used illegal drugs in their lifetime;Current drug policies and overdose deaths disproportionately affect racialized populations;Many systems have a significant financial burden that decriminalization efforts could positively change;Other countries' successes in decriminalization, such as Portugal, have lowered drug-related deaths, reduced other health-related issues that come alongside substance use, and increased public safety;Decriminalization is recommended by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the Health Canada Expert Task Force on Substance Use, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the Canadian Public Health Association, the WHO, and the UN; andUnder the UN’s various conventions, Canada is obligated to implement a different strategy.We, the undersigned, residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Shift thinking of overdoses as a criminal issue to a health issue in the form of policy change;2. Expand controlled access to a regulated supply;3. Expand death prevention efforts throughout Canada, not just in urban areas;4. Eliminate criminal charges for possession of small quantities of controlled substances, excluding drug-trafficking amounts;5. Implement policy changes that can provide more opportunities to seek support without fear of stigma and criminal/legal repercussions;5. Involve those with lived experience in the implementation of policy changes to understand their unique perspective in developing policy surrounding substance use.DecriminalizationDrug use and abuseOpiates and opioidsPublic health44th Parliament223Government response tabledJune 21, 2022441-00456441-00456 (Health)CherylGallantRenfrew—Nipissing—PembrokeConservativeONMay 12, 2022June 21, 2022March 3, 2022PETITION TO THE PRIME MINISTERWhereas:
  • Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canada's Bill of Rights, and Canada's history of sacrifice in defence of liberty, demand we respect and uphold the conscience rights of all Canadians; and
  • The Prime Minister has encouraged hatred and contempt towards individuals exercising their constitutionally protected conscience rights.
Therefore, we, the undersigned citizens of Canada, call upon the Prime Minister to:1- End pandemic mandates on the members of our Public Service, the Canadian Armed Forces personnel, all contractors subject to the federal mandates, and all federally regulated workers; and 2- Lift border restrictions related to the pandemic for all Canadians, including ceasing the covid testing required of Canadians upon returning to Canada.
Response by the President of the Treasury Board Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Greg FergusAs the country’s largest employer, the Government of Canada is leading by example. Having a fully vaccinated workforce means that not only are worksites safer, so are the communities where this large population lives and works. It also means better protection for Canadians accessing government services in person.On October 6, 2021, the Treasury Board of Canada announced its Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Policy is compliant with legislation, including the Privacy Act, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and collective agreements. The Policy provides for addressing requests for accommodation based on any prohibited ground of discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act, on a case-by-case basis.On October 21, 2021, the Canadian Human Rights Commission published a guide on vaccination policies and human rights, which states that “Rights are not absolute. […] Requiring that an individual be vaccinated to work or travel is not a discriminatory practice under the Canadian Human Rights Act. Vaccination requirements are not a discriminatory practice because they are intended (and are necessary) to protect public health and safety.”
Response by the Minister of Public Services and ProcurementSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Anthony HousefatherThe Government of Canada requires that all public service employees be fully vaccinated to access federal government facilities. This approach ensures that federal workplaces are kept safe and that employees who work in them are protected.In support of this policy, the Government also requires any contracted personnel accessing federal government workplaces to be fully vaccinated. This requirement for contracted personnel took effect on November 15, 2021. Any contractor whose personnel must access a federal government workplace is required to certify that the personnel are fully vaccinated. Completed certifications will be kept on file. Monitoring will be performed by organizations receiving the contractor’s services.
Response by the Minister of National DefenceSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Bryan MayProtecting the readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces means protecting the health and safety of its members. Therefore, National Defence is committed to a healthy and safe workforce to ensure the readiness of the Defence Team to support operations at home and abroad.In accordance with Government of Canada policies, the Chief of the Defence Staff issued directives mandating COVID-19 vaccines for all Canadian Armed Forces members. COVID-19 vaccination is now included in the minimum standard for vaccination for all operations abroad and for most domestic operations. In addition to the operational requirement, COVID-19 vaccination is a condition for enrolment into the Canadian Armed Forces. Currently, the Canadian Armed Forces has a 98% vaccination rate.The Canadian Armed Forces will continue to follow Government of Canada policies to protect the health and safety of its members and of the broader Canadian population.
Response by the Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Adam van KoeverdenThe Government of Canada has implemented a multi-layered framework of travel and border measures to protect Canadians by preventing travel from being a source for the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.Adjustments to Canada’s border measures are made possible by a number of factors, including Canada’s high vaccination rate, the increasing availability and use of rapid tests to detect infection, the decrease in hospitalizations, and the increasing availability of treatment for COVID-19 in Canada.As with any other element of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 response, the testing measures required of returning Canadians have been informed by available data, operational considerations, scientific evidence and monitoring of the epidemiological situation across Canada.As the importation rate of disease at the border has significantly reduced since January 2022, the Government of Canada has reassessed and adjusted its border measures.Effective April 1, 2022, the Government has removed the requirement for pre-entry testing for fully vaccinated travellers entering Canada. Therefore, fully vaccinated travellers arriving at land, air or marine ports of entry are no longer required to complete a pre-entry test for entry to Canada.Additionally, effective April 25, 2022, partially and unvaccinated children aged 5-11, who are accompanied by a fully vaccinated parent or guardian, are no longer required to complete a pre-entry COVID-19 test for entry to Canada, but will be subject to mandatory randomized testing on-arrival to Canada. Fully vaccinated travellers, children aged 5-11 (who are accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult), and those with a medical contraindication to COVID-19 vaccination are no longer required to provide quarantine plans when travelling into Canada.Fully vaccinated travellers are no longer required to:
  • monitor and report if they develop signs or symptoms;
  • mask while in public spaces;
  • quarantine if another traveller in the same travel group exhibits signs or symptoms or tests positive; and,
  • maintain a list of close contacts and locations for 14 days after arriving in Canada.
Travellers who do not qualify as fully vaccinated must continue to provide proof of an accepted pre-entry COVID-19 test result, test on arrival and on Day 8 and quarantine for 14 days.Any easing or modification of the current border restrictions in Canada is done based on the latest scientific evidence and in close consultation with our provincial, territorial and international partners, including industry stakeholders, with the health and safety of Canadians as the first priority.As vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity improve, the Government of Canada will continue to consider further easing of measures at the borders, and when to lift or adjust those measures to keep people in Canada safe.
BordersCOVID-19Federally regulated employers and employeesPandemicPublic health
44th Parliament229Not certifiedJune 17, 2022e-3846e-3846 (Health)NicholasThompsonArifViraniParkdale—High ParkLiberalONFebruary 17, 2022, at 3:03 p.m. (EDT)June 17, 2022, at 3:03 p.m. (EDT)June 17, 2022Petition to the <Addressee type="3" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">Government of Canada</Addressee>Whereas:The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose a significant threat to public health within Canada;Frontline and healthcare workers continue to make significant sacrifices to help the Canadian public weather the COVID-19 pandemic;Evidence-based public health measures have helped protect the lives and wellbeing of many Canadians; andEvidence-based public health measures have ensured, to the extent possible, the protection of healthcare capacity within Canada.We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to continue working with provincial and territorial partners to pursue, as required, evidence-based public health restrictions including, but not limited to, vaccination mandates and mask mandates.COVID-19Federal-provincial-territorial relationsPandemicPublic health44th Parliament223Government response tabledMay 30, 2022441-00382441-00382 (Health)HeatherMcPhersonEdmonton StrathconaNDPABApril 7, 2022May 30, 2022March 22, 2022Petition to the Government of CanadaWhereas: The opioid crisis is one of the most deadly public health emergencies of our lifetime, with a death taking place on average every two hours and a death toll of 22,828 in the past five and one quarter years (January 2016 to March 2021); andThe overdose crisis rages.We, the undersigned, call upon the Government of Canada to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency and:Take steps to end overdose deaths and overdose injuries Immediately collaborate with provinces and territories to develop a comprehensive, pan-Canadian overdose action plan Ensure that any plan considers reforms that other countries have used, such as legal regulation of drugs to ensure safe supply, decriminalization for personal use, and changes to flawed drug policy and policing; and Ensure this emergency is taken seriously with adequately funded programming and supports.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe Government of Canada recognizes that the overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which is having devastating impacts on individuals, friends and families, and communities across the country. Tragically, the most recent national data indicates that 26,690 apparent opioid toxicity deaths occurred between January 2016 and September 2021. Fentanyl and its analogues continue to be major drivers of the crisis with as many as 86% of accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths in the first nine months of 2021 (January to September) involving fentanyl.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the complexity of this crisis has only become more complex due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services, such as life-saving harm reduction and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have 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 during the pandemic.With respect to the request to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency, the Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis and working with partners across all provinces and territories to save lives. Such a declaration is not required at the federal level to access important responses to the overdose crisis. In addition, the Government believes that the crisis requires a longer term, sustained, and coordinated effort, which the Emergency Act is not designed to provide. At the federal level, we have taken action by reducing legislative and regulatory barriers, developing new prescription guidelines and marketing restrictions, launching a public awareness campaign, improving the knowledge base, supporting treatment and harm reduction initiatives across Canada, and providing emergency funding to provinces and territories.Provinces and territories have a range of tools and authorities to address the ongoing opioid overdose crisis in their respective jurisdictions. For example, provinces and territories fund and deliver the majority of direct social and health interventions, such as naloxone distribution, and safer consumption sites, that are shown to effectively reduce opioid overdose deaths and harms. Provinces, territories and municipalities also have the power to declare a public health emergency in response to a significant increase in opioid-related deaths, as was the case for British Columbia in April 2016 and Alberta declaring a public health crisis in May 2017. More recently, Yukon declared a substance use health emergency in January 2022. The declaration of a provincial and territorial public health emergency allows a provincial or territorial government to access and exercise extraordinary powers to address a crisis.Canada’s approach to substance use issues aims to be 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. It includes four key pillars – prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and enforcement. 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2017, the Government of Canada has taken urgent action to address the overdose crisis through significant commitments of over $800 million. Recent examples in this area include:
  • over $282 million to the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, Budget 2021, and Budget 2022, in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide frontline services in a COVID-19 context, to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services;
  • $200 million, with $40 million per year ongoing, to enhance the delivery of culturally appropriate addictions treatment and prevention services in First Nations communities;
  • more than $20 million for Naloxone distribution, education and training; and,
  • $13 million over five years to launch a new national, multi-year public education campaign to help reshape Canadians’ attitudes and perceptions about people who use drugs.
In addition to these investments, in order to prevent and reduce substance-related harms, the Government of Canada has undertaken a broad range of policy, legislative and regulatory actions, such as:
  • approving exemptions to establish supervised consumption sites (since January 1, 2016, the number of supervised consumption sites operating in Canada has increased from 1 to 38), and providing provincial and territorial class exemptions to facilitate the establishment of Urgent Public Health Need Sites (commonly known as overdose prevention sites);
  • reducing barriers to providing people who use drugs with safer, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the toxic illegal drug supply and supporting 17 safer supply projects across 29 sites in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick, and one national community of practice, for a total investment of over $63 million;
  • providing guidance and leadership on the prescribing, dispensing, and delivery of opioids and other narcotics during the pandemic;
  • creating new regulatory pathways under the Food and Drugs Act and its regulations used to authorize medication used to treat addiction not otherwise available (e.g., approving diacetylmorphine hydrochloride as a supervised injectable opioid agonist therapy for adult patients with severe opioid use disorder and amending federal regulations to allow healthcare practitioners to provide diacetylmorphine-assisted treatment outside of a hospital setting, if permitted by their province or territory);
  • supporting the passage of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, which encourages people to seek emergency help at the scene of an overdose by providing some legal protection against simple drug possession charges; and,
  • introducing Bill C-5, which proposes amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act which, among other measures, would repeal mandatory minimum penalties for drug related-offences, and would require prosecutors to consider alternative measures to laying charges or prosecuting individuals for simple possession of drugs, including diversion to treatment programs.
The Mandate Letter of the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health calls on the Minister to, “Advance a comprehensive strategy to address problematic substance use in Canada, supporting efforts to improve public education to reduce stigma, and supporting provinces and territories and working with Indigenous communities to provide access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction, as well as to create standards for substance use treatment programs.” The Government of Canada is continuing to work with provincial, territorial, Indigenous and municipal officials on options to address their regional needs. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Problematic Substance Use & Harms to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners. We are also collaborating with provinces and territories to better understand the evolving crisis, and undertaking timely monitoring and reporting of opioid-related deaths and harms in Canada. Public health officers from the Public Health Agency of Canada have been deployed to support public health surveillance systems in provinces and territories.In addition, engagement with civil society organizations, direct care service providers, academics, people with lived and living experience, and other key stakeholders continues to inform federal actions to reduce opioid-related overdoses and deaths and improve the health and wellbeing of Canadians. For example, we continue to engage with stakeholders to inform them about safer supply and encourage them to look and work within their sphere of influence to remove barriers to this practice. Safer supply services provide a pharmaceutical alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply as a way to help prevent overdoses, improve the health of people who use drugs, and help connect people to trusted and supportive relationships in health and social services. Health Canada is supporting a number of safer supply projects through the Substance Use and Additions Program (SUAP). We have also taken action to increase access to safer supply services by:
  • helping to build the evidence base for safer supply by supporting the evaluation of pilot projects and seeking expert advice, including from health professionals and people who use drugs; 
  • making it easier to access needed medications, including issuing exemptions from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; and,
  • sharing resources and guidance on treating substance use disorder for the use of healthcare practitioners.
The Government of Canada is also taking action to ensure that our enforcement response is focused on organized drug crime and the cross-border movement of illegal substances and the precursor chemicals that are used to make many of them. As Canada’s national police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) detects, investigates, and disrupts the most serious and complex criminal threats to the safety and security of Canadians and Canadian interests, including transnational and serious organized crime (TSOC) and the illegal drug market. At our borders, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is working to reduce the flow of illegal opioids and related substances, precursor chemicals, and other controlled substances. Efforts to disrupt the involvement of organized crime groups in the production, trafficking, and sale of what are now increasingly toxic substances remain critical, including in support of public health measures to prevent, treat, and reduce the harms associated with the use of those substances. Recent and/or ongoing federal activities include:
  • acquisition of new infrastructure and tools required to assist in the safe examination and sampling of suspected highly toxic substances in addition to increasing intelligence, targeting, and training support;
  • investigating TSOC networks that traffic multiple commodities, within Canada and internationally, as well as online vendors and manufacturers;
  • providing an integrated policing response to drug trafficking and organized crime networks by working closely with local law enforcement agencies, as well as private industry partners, including chemical producers, retailers and distributors, to limit the chemicals used for legitimate purposes from being diverted for the illegal production of controlled substances; and,
  • maintaining strong relationships with international partners, including the United States of America, to support joint operations and investigations involving cross-border drug activity, as well as to facilitate productive policy dialogue and information exchange.
Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of illegal drugs for personal use can perpetuate stigma, increase risks of overdose and other harms, and increase barriers to care. Canada recognizes that drug use stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help ensure that stigma is not present in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides frontline law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The federal government is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and towards supportive and trusted relationships in health and social services. In addition to the passage of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act in May 2017, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada issued guidance to prosecutors directing that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for personal possession offences, except when there are serious aggravating circumstances.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue, and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abuseOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledMay 20, 2022441-00357441-00357 (Health)GordJohnsCourtenay—AlberniNDPBCApril 6, 2022May 20, 2022March 22, 2022Petition to the Government of CanadaWhereas:The opioid crisis is one of the most deadly public health emergencies of our lifetime, with a death taking place on average about every two hours and a death toll of almost 15,400 in the past four years alone (January 2016 to December 2019); andThe overdose crisis rages.We, the undersigned, call upon the Government of Canada to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency and:
  • Take steps to end overdose deaths and overdose injuries;
  • Immediately collaborate with provinces and territories to develop a comprehensive, pan-Canadian overdose action plan;
  • Ensure that any plan considers reforms that other countries have used, such as legal regulation of drugs to ensure safe supply, decriminalization for personal use, and changes to flawed drug policy and policing; and
  • Ensure this emergency is taken seriously with adequately funded programming and supports.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe Government of Canada recognizes that the overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which is having devastating impacts on individuals, friends and families, and communities across the country. Tragically, the most recent national data indicates that 26,690 apparent opioid toxicity deaths occurred between January 2016 and September 2021. Fentanyl and its analogues continue to be major drivers of the crisis with as many as 86% of accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths in the first nine months of 2021 (January to September) involving fentanyl.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the complexity of this crisis has only become more complex due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services, such as life-saving harm reduction and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have 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 during the pandemic.With respect to the request to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency, the Government of Canada remains fully committed to addressing the overdose crisis and working with partners across all provinces and territories to save lives. Such a declaration is not required at the federal level to access important responses to the overdose crisis. In addition, the Government believes that the crisis requires a longer term, sustained, and coordinated effort, which the Emergency Act is not designed to provide. At the federal level, we have taken action by reducing legislative and regulatory barriers, developing new prescription guidelines and marketing restrictions, launching a public awareness campaign, improving the knowledge base, supporting treatment and harm reduction initiatives across Canada, and providing emergency funding to provinces and territories.Provinces and territories have a range of tools and authorities to address the ongoing opioid overdose crisis in their respective jurisdictions. For example, provinces and territories fund and deliver the majority of direct social and health interventions, such as naloxone distribution, and safer consumption sites, that are shown to effectively reduce opioid overdose deaths and harms. Provinces, territories and municipalities also have the power to declare a public health emergency in response to a significant increase in opioid-related deaths, as was the case for British Columbia in April 2016 and Alberta declaring a public health crisis in May 2017. More recently, Yukon declared a substance use health emergency in January 2022. The declaration of a provincial and territorial public health emergency allows a provincial or territorial government to access and exercise extraordinary powers to address a crisis.Canada’s approach to substance use issues aims to be 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. It includes four key pillars – prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and enforcement. 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2017, the Government of Canada has taken urgent action to address the overdose crisis through significant commitments of over $800 million. Recent examples in this area include:
  • over $282 million to the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, Budget 2021, and Budget 2022, in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide frontline services in a COVID-19 context, to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services;
  • $200 million, with $40 million per year ongoing, to enhance the delivery of culturally appropriate addictions treatment and prevention services in First Nations communities;
  • more than $20 million for Naloxone distribution, education and training; and,
  • $13 million over five years to launch a new national, multi-year public education campaign to help reshape Canadians’ attitudes and perceptions about people who use drugs.
In addition to these investments, in order to prevent and reduce substance-related harms, the Government of Canada has undertaken a broad range of policy, legislative and regulatory actions, such as:
  • approving exemptions to establish supervised consumption sites (since January 1, 2016, the number of supervised consumption sites operating in Canada has increased from 1 to 38), and providing provincial and territorial class exemptions to facilitate the establishment of Urgent Public Health Need Sites (commonly known as overdose prevention sites);
  • reducing barriers to providing people who use drugs with safer, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the toxic illegal drug supply and supporting 17 safer supply projects across 29 sites in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick, and one national community of practice, for a total investment of over $63 million;
  • providing guidance and leadership on the prescribing, dispensing, and delivery of opioids and other narcotics during the pandemic;
  • creating new regulatory pathways under the Food and Drugs Act and its regulations used to authorize medication used to treat addiction not otherwise available (e.g., approving diacetylmorphine hydrochloride as a supervised injectable opioid agonist therapy for adult patients with severe opioid use disorder and amending federal regulations to allow healthcare practitioners to provide diacetylmorphine-assisted treatment outside of a hospital setting, if permitted by their province or territory);
  • supporting the passage of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, which encourages people to seek emergency help at the scene of an overdose by providing some legal protection against simple drug possession charges; and,
  • introducing Bill C-5, which proposes amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act which, among other measures, would repeal mandatory minimum penalties for drug related-offences, and would require prosecutors to consider alternative measures to laying charges or prosecuting individuals for simple possession of drugs, including diversion to treatment programs.
The Mandate Letter of the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health calls on the Minister to, “Advance a comprehensive strategy to address problematic substance use in Canada, supporting efforts to improve public education to reduce stigma, and supporting provinces and territories and working with Indigenous communities to provide access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction, as well as to create standards for substance use treatment programs.” The Government of Canada is continuing to work with provincial, territorial, Indigenous and municipal officials on options to address their regional needs. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Problematic Substance Use & Harms to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners. We are also collaborating with provinces and territories to better understand the evolving crisis, and undertaking timely monitoring and reporting of opioid-related deaths and harms in Canada. Public health officers from the Public Health Agency of Canada have been deployed to support public health surveillance systems in provinces and territories.In addition, engagement with civil society organizations, direct care service providers, academics, people with lived and living experience, and other key stakeholders continues to inform federal actions to reduce opioid-related overdoses and deaths and improve the health and wellbeing of Canadians. For example, we continue to engage with stakeholders to inform them about safer supply and encourage them to look and work within their sphere of influence to remove barriers to this practice. Safer supply services provide a pharmaceutical alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply as a way to help prevent overdoses, improve the health of people who use drugs, and help connect people to trusted and supportive relationships in health and social services. Health Canada is supporting a number of safer supply projects through the Substance Use and Additions Program (SUAP). We have also taken action to increase access to safer supply services by:
  • helping to build the evidence base for safer supply by supporting the evaluation of pilot projects and seeking expert advice, including from health professionals and people who use drugs; 
  • making it easier to access needed medications, including issuing exemptions from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; and,
  • sharing resources and guidance on treating substance use disorder for the use of healthcare practitioners.
The Government of Canada is also taking action to ensure that our enforcement response is focused on organized drug crime and the cross-border movement of illegal substances and the precursor chemicals that are used to make many of them. As Canada’s national police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) detects, investigates, and disrupts the most serious and complex criminal threats to the safety and security of Canadians and Canadian interests, including transnational and serious organized crime (TSOC) and the illegal drug market. At our borders, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is working to reduce the flow of illegal opioids and related substances, precursor chemicals, and other controlled substances. Efforts to disrupt the involvement of organized crime groups in the production, trafficking, and sale of what are now increasingly toxic substances remain critical, including in support of public health measures to prevent, treat, and reduce the harms associated with the use of those substances. Recent and/or ongoing federal activities include:
  • acquisition of new infrastructure and tools required to assist in the safe examination and sampling of suspected highly toxic substances in addition to increasing intelligence, targeting, and training support;
  • investigating TSOC networks that traffic multiple commodities, within Canada and internationally, as well as online vendors and manufacturers;
  • providing an integrated policing response to drug trafficking and organized crime networks by working closely with local law enforcement agencies, as well as private industry partners, including chemical producers, retailers and distributors, to limit the chemicals used for legitimate purposes from being diverted for the illegal production of controlled substances; and,
  • maintaining strong relationships with international partners, including the United States of America, to support joint operations and investigations involving cross-border drug activity, as well as to facilitate productive policy dialogue and information exchange.
Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of illegal drugs for personal use can perpetuate stigma, increase risks of overdose and other harms, and increase barriers to care. Canada recognizes that drug use stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help ensure that stigma is not present in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides frontline law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The federal government is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and towards supportive and trusted relationships in health and social services. In addition to the passage of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act in May 2017, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada issued guidance to prosecutors directing that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for personal possession offences, except when there are serious aggravating circumstances.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue, and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abuseOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledMay 18, 2022441-00347441-00347 (Health)GarnettGenuisSherwood Park—Fort SaskatchewanConservativeABApril 4, 2022May 18, 2022March 24, 2022Petition to the House of CommonsWhereas:
  • An early systemic review of applicable scientific literature found that “blood vitamin D status can determine the risk of being infected with COVID-19, seriousness of COVID-19, and mortality from COVID-19”. Additionally, it further recommended that the public maintain appropriate levels of Vitamin D to be able to cope with the pandemic (“Effects of Vitamin D on COVID-19 Infection and Prognosis: A Systemic Review”; Jan 2021);
  • A Meta-analysis found that “vitamin D supplementation had an association with favourable outcomes of COVID-19, compromising reduction in the rate of ICU admission, reduction in ventilation usage and reduction of mortality rate from COVID-19” (“Vitamin D supplementation and COVID-19 outcomes: a systemic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression”; June 2021);
  • The study, “The Impact of Vitamin D Level on COVID-19 Infection: Systemic Review and Meta Analysis” (March 2021) found that “Sufficient Vitamin D level [...] is associated with a significantly decreased risk of COVID-19 infection.”;
  • Numerous other studies have come to similar conclusions; and
  • People get Vitamin D from sunlight exposure, so during a season when Canadians are less likely to spend time outdoors, increased awareness about Vitamin D is particularly important.
We, the undersigned, citizens and permanent residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:1. Recognize the emerging scientific evidence that low levels of vitamin D are associated with worse outcomes from COVID-19; and 2. Work to increase public awareness about the importance of individuals maintaining recommended Vitamin D levels.
Response by the Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Adam van KoeverdenThe Government of Canada closely reviews all potential therapeutic treatments available or in development in Canada and abroad. Currently, there is no definitive evidence to determine that Vitamin D supplementation enhances resistance or prevention of COVID-19 infection in the Canadian context, but as more information becomes available, our understanding of this may change.A list of all clinical trials authorized for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 in Canada can be found on Health Canada’s List of Authorized Clinical Trials webpage: Drugs and vaccines for COVID-19: Authorized clinical trials - Canada.ca. As indicated on the website listed above, Health Canada has issued authorization for COVID-19 clinical trials examining Vitamin D and will be monitoring this evidence as it becomes available. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is aware of the many health benefits of Vitamin D and the rapidly evolving science examining its potential effect to reduce the risk, severity or duration of COVID-19 infections in various populations.The Government will continue to monitor the evidence and clinical trials that are submitted to Health Canada for any products with claims to treat or prevent COVID-19.
COVID-19PandemicPublic healthVitamin D
44th Parliament223Government response tabledMay 13, 2022441-00317441-00317 (Health)CherylGallantRenfrew—Nipissing—PembrokeConservativeONMarch 31, 2022May 13, 2022March 9, 2022PETITION TO THE PRIME MINISTERWhereas:
  • Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canada's Bill of Rights, and Canada's history of sacrifice in defence of liberty, demand we respect and uphold the conscience rights of all Canadians; and
  • The Prime Minister has encouraged hatred and contempt towards individuals exercising their constitutionally protected conscience rights.
Therefore, we, the undersigned citizens of Canada, call upon the Prime Minister to:1- End pandemic mandates on the members of our Public Service, the Canadian Armed Forces personnel, all contractors subject to the federal mandates, and all federally regulated workers; and 2- Lift border restrictions related to the pandemic for all Canadians, including ceasing the covid testing required of Canadians upon returning to Canada.
Response by the Minister of National DefenceSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Bryan MayProtecting the readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces means protecting the health and safety of its members. Therefore, National Defence is committed to a healthy and safe workforce to ensure the readiness of the Defence Team to support operations at home and abroad.In accordance with Government of Canada policies, the Chief of the Defence Staff issued directives mandating COVID-19 vaccines for all Canadian Armed Forces members. COVID-19 vaccination is now included in the minimum standard for vaccination for all operations abroad and for most domestic operations. In addition to the operational requirement, COVID-19 vaccination is a condition for enrolment into the Canadian Armed Forces. Currently, the Canadian Armed Forces has a 98% vaccination rate.The Canadian Armed Forces will continue to follow Government of Canada policies to protect the health and safety of its members and of the broader Canadian population.
Response by the President of the Treasury Board Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Greg FergusAs the country’s largest employer, the Government of Canada is leading by example. Having a fully vaccinated workforce means that not only are worksites safer, so are the communities where this large population lives and works. It also means better protection for Canadians accessing government services in person.On October 6, 2021, the Treasury Board of Canada announced its Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Policy is compliant with legislation, including the Privacy Act, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and collective agreements. The Policy provides for addressing requests for accommodation based on any prohibited ground of discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act, on a case-by-case basis.On October 21, 2021, the Canadian Human Rights Commission published a guide on vaccination policies and human rights, which states that “Rights are not absolute. […] Requiring that an individual be vaccinated to work or travel is not a discriminatory practice under the Canadian Human Rights Act. Vaccination requirements are not a discriminatory practice because they are intended (and are necessary) to protect public health and safety.”
Response by the Minister of Public Services and ProcurementSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Anthony HousefatherThe Government of Canada requires that all public service employees be fully vaccinated to access federal government facilities. This approach ensures that federal workplaces are kept safe and that employees who work in them are protected.In support of this policy, the Government also requires any contracted personnel accessing federal government workplaces to be fully vaccinated. This requirement for contracted personnel took effect on November 15, 2021. Any contractor whose personnel must access a federal government workplace is required to certify that the personnel are fully vaccinated. Completed certifications will be kept on file. Monitoring will be performed by organizations receiving the contractor’s services. 
Response by the Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Adam van KoeverdenThe Government of Canada has implemented a multi-layered framework of travel and border measures to protect Canadians by preventing travel from being a source for the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.Adjustments to Canada’s border measures are made possible by a number of factors, including Canada’s high vaccination rate, the increasing availability and use of rapid tests to detect infection, the decrease in hospitalizations, and the increasing availability of treatment for COVID-19 in Canada.As with any other element of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 response, the testing measures required of returning Canadians have been informed by available data, operational considerations, scientific evidence and monitoring of the epidemiological situation across Canada.Data available in February 2022 indicated that the latest wave of COVID-19 has passed its peak in Canada, and the importation rate of disease at the border has also significantly reduced since January 2022. As a result, the Government of Canada has reassessed and adjusted its border measures.Effective April 1, 2022, the Government has removed the requirement for pre-entry testing for fully vaccinated travellers entering Canada. Therefore, fully vaccinated travellers arriving at land, air or marine ports of entry are no longer required to complete a pre-entry test for entry to Canada. Travellers who do not qualify as fully vaccinated must continue to provide proof of an accepted pre-entry COVID-19 test result.Any easing or modification of the current border restrictions in Canada is done based on the latest scientific evidence and in close consultation with our provincial, territorial and international partners, including industry stakeholders, with the health and safety of Canadians as the first priority.As vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity improve, the Government of Canada will continue to consider further easing of measures at the borders, and when to lift or adjust those measures to keep people in Canada safe.
BordersCOVID-19Federally regulated employers and employeesPandemicPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledMay 12, 2022441-00306441-00306 (Health)CherylGallantRenfrew—Nipissing—PembrokeConservativeONMarch 29, 2022May 12, 2022March 7, 2022PETITION TO THE PRIME MINISTERWhereas:
  • Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canada's Bill of Rights, and Canada's history of sacrifice in defence of liberty, demand we respect and uphold the conscience rights of all Canadians; and
  • The Prime Minister has encouraged hatred and contempt towards individuals exercising their constitutionally protected conscience rights.
Therefore, we, the undersigned citizens of Canada, call upon the Prime Minister to:1- End pandemic mandates on the members of our Public Service, the Canadian Armed Forces personnel, all contractors subject to the federal mandates, and all federally regulated workers; and 2- Lift border restrictions related to the pandemic for all Canadians, including ceasing the covid testing required of Canadians upon returning to Canada.
Response by the Minister of National DefenceSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Bryan MayProtecting the readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces means protecting the health and safety of its members. Therefore, National Defence is committed to a healthy and safe workforce to ensure the readiness of the Defence Team to support operations at home and abroad.In accordance with Government of Canada policies, the Chief of the Defence Staff issued directives mandating COVID-19 vaccines for all Canadian Armed Forces members. COVID-19 vaccination is now included in the minimum standard for vaccination for all operations abroad and for most domestic operations. In addition to the operational requirement, COVID-19 vaccination is a condition for enrolment into the Canadian Armed Forces. Currently, the Canadian Armed Forces has a 98% vaccination rate.The Canadian Armed Forces will continue to follow Government of Canada policies to protect the health and safety of its members and of the broader Canadian population.
Response by the President of the Treasury Board Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Greg FergusAs the country’s largest employer, the Government of Canada is leading by example. Having a fully vaccinated workforce means that not only are worksites safer, so are the communities where this large population lives and works. It also means better protection for Canadians accessing government services in person.On October 6, 2021, the Treasury Board of Canada announced its Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Policy is compliant with legislation, including the Privacy Act, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and collective agreements. The Policy provides for addressing requests for accommodation based on any prohibited ground of discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act, on a case-by-case basis.On October 21, 2021, the Canadian Human Rights Commission published a guide on vaccination policies and human rights, which states that “Rights are not absolute. […] Requiring that an individual be vaccinated to work or travel is not a discriminatory practice under the Canadian Human Rights Act. Vaccination requirements are not a discriminatory practice because they are intended (and are necessary) to protect public health and safety.”
Response by the Minister of Public Services and ProcurementSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Anthony HousefatherThe Government of Canada requires that all public service employees be fully vaccinated to access federal government facilities. This approach ensures that federal workplaces are kept safe and that employees who work in them are protected.In support of this policy, the Government also requires any contracted personnel accessing federal government workplaces to be fully vaccinated. This requirement for contracted personnel took effect on November 15, 2021. Any contractor whose personnel must access a federal government workplace is required to certify that the personnel are fully vaccinated. Completed certifications will be kept on file. Monitoring will be performed by organizations receiving the contractor’s services. 
Response by the Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Adam van KoeverdenThe Government of Canada has implemented a multi-layered framework of travel and border measures to protect Canadians by preventing travel from being a source for the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.Adjustments to Canada’s border measures are made possible by a number of factors, including Canada’s high vaccination rate, the increasing availability and use of rapid tests to detect infection, the decrease in hospitalizations, and the increasing availability of treatment for COVID-19 in Canada.As with any other element of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 response, the testing measures required of returning Canadians have been informed by available data, operational considerations, scientific evidence and monitoring of the epidemiological situation across Canada.Data available in February 2022 indicated that the latest wave of COVID-19 has passed its peak in Canada, and the importation rate of disease at the border has also significantly reduced since January 2022. As a result, the Government of Canada has reassessed and adjusted its border measures.Effective April 1, 2022, the Government has removed the requirement for pre-entry testing for fully vaccinated travellers entering Canada. Therefore, fully vaccinated travellers arriving at land, air or marine ports of entry are no longer required to complete a pre-entry test for entry to Canada. Travellers who do not qualify as fully vaccinated must continue to provide proof of an accepted pre-entry COVID-19 test result.Any easing or modification of the current border restrictions in Canada is done based on the latest scientific evidence and in close consultation with our provincial, territorial and international partners, including industry stakeholders, with the health and safety of Canadians as the first priority.As vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity improve, the Government of Canada will continue to consider further easing of measures at the borders, and when to lift or adjust those measures to keep people in Canada safe.
BordersCOVID-19Federally regulated employers and employeesPandemicPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledMay 9, 2022441-00264441-00264 (Health)CherylGallantRenfrew—Nipissing—PembrokeConservativeONMarch 24, 2022May 9, 2022February 15, 2022PETITION TO THE PRIME MINISTERWhereas:
  • Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canada's Bill of Rights, and Canada's history of sacrifice in defence of liberty, demand we respect and uphold the conscience rights of all Canadians; and
  • The Prime Minister has encouraged hatred and contempt towards individuals exercising their constitutionally protected conscience rights.
Therefore, we, the undersigned citizens of Canada, call upon the Prime Minister to:1- End pandemic mandates on the members of our Public Service, the Canadian Armed Forces personnel, all contractors subject to the federal mandates, and all federally regulated workers; and 2- Lift border restrictions related to the pandemic for all Canadians, including ceasing the covid testing required of Canadians upon returning to Canada.
Response by the Minister of National DefenceSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Bryan MayProtecting the readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces means protecting the health and safety of its members. Therefore, National Defence is committed to a healthy and safe workforce to ensure the readiness of the Defence Team to support operations at home and abroad.In accordance with Government of Canada policies, the Chief of the Defence Staff issued directives mandating COVID-19 vaccines for all Canadian Armed Forces members. COVID-19 vaccination is now included in the minimum standard for vaccination for all operations abroad and for most domestic operations. In addition to the operational requirement, COVID-19 vaccination is a condition for enrolment into the Canadian Armed Forces. Currently, the Canadian Armed Forces has a 98% vaccination rate.The Canadian Armed Forces will continue to follow Government of Canada policies to protect the health and safety of its members and of the broader Canadian population.
Response by the President of the Treasury Board Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Greg FergusAs the country’s largest employer, the Government of Canada is leading by example. Having a fully vaccinated workforce means that not only are worksites safer, so are the communities where this large population lives and works. It also means better protection for Canadians accessing government services in person.On October 6, 2021, the Treasury Board of Canada announced its Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Policy is compliant with legislation, including the Privacy Act, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and collective agreements. The Policy provides for addressing requests for accommodation based on any prohibited ground of discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act, on a case-by-case basis.On October 21, 2021, the Canadian Human Rights Commission published a guide on vaccination policies and human rights, which states that “Rights are not absolute. […] Requiring that an individual be vaccinated to work or travel is not a discriminatory practice under the Canadian Human Rights Act. Vaccination requirements are not a discriminatory practice because they are intended (and are necessary) to protect public health and safety.”
Response by the Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Adam van KoeverdenThe Government of Canada has implemented a multi-layered framework of travel and border measures to protect Canadians by preventing travel from being a source for the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.Adjustments to Canada’s border measures are made possible by a number of factors, including Canada’s high vaccination rate, the increasing availability and use of rapid tests to detect infection, the decrease in hospitalizations, and the increasing availability of treatment for COVID-19 in Canada.As with any other element of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 response, the testing measures required of returning Canadians have been informed by available data, operational considerations, scientific evidence and monitoring of the epidemiological situation across Canada.Data available in February 2022 indicated that the latest wave of COVID-19 has passed its peak in Canada, and the importation rate of disease at the border has also significantly reduced since January 2022. As a result, the Government of Canada has reassessed and adjusted its border measures.Effective April 1, 2022, the Government has removed the requirement for pre-entry testing for fully vaccinated travellers entering Canada. Therefore, fully vaccinated travellers arriving at land, air or marine ports of entry are no longer required to complete a pre-entry test for entry to Canada. Travellers who do not qualify as fully vaccinated must continue to provide proof of an accepted pre-entry COVID-19 test result.Any easing or modification of the current border restrictions in Canada is done based on the latest scientific evidence and in close consultation with our provincial, territorial and international partners, including industry stakeholders, with the health and safety of Canadians as the first priority.As vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity improve, the Government of Canada will continue to consider further easing of measures at the borders, and when to lift or adjust those measures to keep people in Canada safe.
Response by the Minister of Public Services and ProcurementSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Anthony HousefatherThe Government of Canada requires that all public service employees be fully vaccinated to access federal government facilities. This approach ensures that federal workplaces are kept safe and that employees who work in them are protected.In support of this policy, the Government also requires any contracted personnel accessing federal government workplaces to be fully vaccinated. This requirement for contracted personnel took effect on November 15, 2021. Any contractor whose personnel must access a federal government workplace is required to certify that the personnel are fully vaccinated. Completed certifications will be kept on file. Monitoring will be performed by organizations receiving the contractor’s services. 
BordersCOVID-19Federally regulated employers and employeesPandemicPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledMay 6, 2022441-00256441-00256 (Health)GarnettGenuisSherwood Park—Fort SaskatchewanConservativeABMarch 23, 2022May 6, 2022February 15, 2022Petition to the House of CommonsWe, the undersigned, citizens and permanent residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to end all Covid-19 mandates.
Response by the President of the Treasury Board Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Greg FergusAs the country’s largest employer, the Government of Canada is leading by example. Having a fully vaccinated workforce means that not only are worksites safer, so are the communities where this large population lives and works. It also means better protection for Canadians accessing government services in person.On October 6, 2021, the Treasury Board of Canada announced its Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (the Policy). The Policy is compliant with legislation, including the Privacy Act, the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and collective agreements. The Policy provides for addressing requests for accommodation based on any prohibited ground of discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act, on a case-by-case basis.On October 21, 2021, the Canadian Human Rights Commission published a guide on vaccination policies and human rights, which states that “Rights are not absolute. […] Requiring that an individual be vaccinated to work or travel is not a discriminatory practice under the Canadian Human Rights Act. Vaccination requirements are not a discriminatory practice because they are intended (and are necessary) to protect public health and safety.”
Response by the Minister of LabourSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): TERRY SHEEHANThe Government of Canada thanks the petitioners for their engagement on this issue.Since the beginning of the pandemic, keeping Canadians safe and healthy has been the top priority of the Government of Canada. Canada’s best economic policy continues to be finishing the fight against COVID-19. Millions of Canadians have been doing their part by getting vaccinated, following public health guidelines, and delivering essential services. But work remains to end the pandemic.Vaccines are our best line of defence against COVID-19 and widespread vaccination has helped our economy reopen and helped many people return to work. Scientists have developed safe vaccines that have proven to be very effective at preventing severe cases of COVID-19, including preventing hospitalization and death. By getting our shots, we are protecting our loved ones, vulnerable people, those who can’t get vaccinated—and preventing further lockdowns.On December 7, 2021, the Government of Canada announced its intention to develop regulations under Part II (Occupational Health and Safety) of the Canada Labour Code to make vaccination mandatory in federally regulated workplaces. Consultations with federally regulated stakeholders, including employer and employee representatives, were held in December 2021. At this time, no regulations have been enacted.The Government of Canada continues to encourage Canadians to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and to follow public health recommendations and preventative measures to protect themselves and others in their communities.
COVID-19PandemicPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledMarch 31, 2022441-00191441-00191 (Health)TracyGrayKelowna—Lake CountryConservativeBCFebruary 15, 2022March 31, 2022February 11, 2022Petition to the Government of CanadaWhereas:The opioid crisis is one of the most deadly public health emergencies of our lifetime, with a death taking place on average about every two hours and a death toll of almost 15,400 in the past four years alone (January 2016 to December 2019); andThe overdose crisis rages.We, the undersigned, call upon the Government of Canada to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency and:
  • Take steps to end overdose deaths and overdose injuries;
  • Immediately collaborate with provinces and territories to develop a comprehensive, pan-Canadian overdose action plan;
  • Ensure that any plan considers reforms that other countries have used, such as legal regulation of drugs to ensure safe supply, decriminalization for personal use, and changes to flawed drug policy and policing; and
  • Ensure this emergency is taken seriously with adequately funded programming and supports.
Response by the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe Government of Canada recognizes that the overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which is having devastating impacts on individuals, friends and families, and communities across the country. Tragically, most recent national data indicates that 26,690 apparent opioid toxicity deaths occurred between January 2016 and September 2021. Fentanyl and its analogues continue to be major drivers of the crisis with as many as 86% of accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths in the first nine months of 2021 (January to September) involving fentanyl.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the complexity of this crisis has only become more complex due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This had led to a more uncertain and toxic illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services, such as life-saving harm reduction and treatment services. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have 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 during the pandemic.With respect to the request to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency, the federal Emergencies Act is a tool of last resort to ensure safety and security in the event of a national emergency that cannot be addressed by other levels of government or other laws. Such a declaration is not required at the federal level to access important responses to the overdose crisis. In addition, the Government believes that the crisis requires a longer-term, sustained, and co-ordinated effort, which the Emergencies Act is not designed to provide.Canada’s approach to substance use issues aims to be 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. It includes four key pillars – prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and enforcement. 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2017, the Government of Canada has taken urgent action to address the overdose crisis through significant investments of over $700 million. Recent examples of key federal investments in this area include:
  • over $182 million to the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement and Budget 2021 in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide frontline services in a COVID-19 context and to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched with the provinces and territories, will result in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services;
  • $200 million, with $40 million per year ongoing, to enhance the delivery of culturally appropriate addictions treatment and prevention services in First Nations communities;
  • more than $20 million for Naloxone distribution, education and training; and,
  • $13 million over five years to launch a new national, multi-year public education campaign to help reshape Canadians’ attitudes and perceptions about people who use drugs.
In addition to these investments, in order to prevent and reduce substance-related harms, the Government of Canada has undertaken a broad range of policy, legislative and regulatory actions, such as:
  • approving exemptions to establish supervised consumption sites (since January 1, 2016, the number of supervised consumption sites operating in Canada has increased from 1 to 38), and providing provincial and territorial class exemptions to facilitate the establishment of Urgent Public Health Need Sites (commonly known as overdose prevention sites);
  • reducing barriers to providing people who use drugs with safer, pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the toxic illegal drug supply and supporting 17 safer supply projects across 29 sites in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick, and one national community of practice, for a total investment of over $63 million;
  • providing guidance and leadership on the prescribing, dispensing, and delivery of opioids and other narcotics during the pandemic;
  • creating new regulatory pathways under the Food and Drugs Act and its regulations used to authorize medication used to treat addiction not otherwise available (e.g., approving diacetylmorphine hydrochloride as a supervised injectable opioid agonist therapy for adult patients with severe opioid disorder and amending federal regulations to allow healthcare practitioners to provide diacetylmorphine-assisted treatment outside of a hospital setting, if permitted by their province or territory);
  • supporting the passage of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, which encourages people to seek emergency help at the scene of an overdose by providing some legal protection against simple drug possession charges; and,
  • introducing Bill C-5, which proposes amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act which, among other measures, would repeal mandatory minimum penalties for drug related-offences, and would require prosecutors to consider alternative measures to laying charges or prosecuting individuals for simple possession of drugs, including diversion to treatment programs.
The Mandate Letter of the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health calls on the Minister to, “Advance a comprehensive strategy to address problematic substance use in Canada, supporting efforts to improve public education to reduce stigma, and supporting provinces and territories and working with Indigenous communities to provide access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction, as well as to create standards for substance use treatment programs.” The Government of Canada is continuing to work with provincial, territorial, Indigenous and municipal officials on options to address their regional needs. We have established federal, provincial and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Problematic Substance Use & Harms to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners. We are also collaborating with provinces and territories to better understand the evolving crisis, and undertaking timely monitoring and reporting of opioid-related deaths and harms in Canada. Public health officers from the Public Health Agency of Canada have been deployed to support public health surveillance systems in provinces and territories.In addition, engagement with civil society organizations, direct care service providers, academics, people with lived and living experience, and other key stakeholders continues to inform federal actions to reduce opioid-related overdoses and deaths and improve the health and wellbeing of Canadians who use drugs. For example, we continue to engage with stakeholders to inform them about safer supply and encourage them to look and work within their sphere of influence to remove barriers to this practice. Safer supply services provide a pharmaceutical alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply as a way to help prevent overdoses, improve the health of people who use drugs, and help connect people to trusted and supportive relationships in health and social services. Health Canada is supporting a number of safer supply projects through the Substance Use and Additions Program (SUAP). We have also taken action to increase access to safer supply services by:
  • helping to build the evidence base for safer supply by supporting the evaluation of pilot projects and seeking expert advice, including from health professionals and people who use drugs; 
  • making it easier to access needed medications, including issuing exemptions from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; and,
  • sharing resources and guidance on treating substance use disorder for the use of healthcare practitioners.
The Government of Canada is also taking action to ensure that our enforcement response is focused on organized drug crime and the cross-border movement of illegal substances and the precursor chemicals that are used to make many of them. As Canada’s national police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) detects, investigates, and disrupts the most serious and complex criminal threats to the safety and security of Canadians and Canadian interests, including transnational and serious organized crime (TSOC) and the illegal drug market. At our borders, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is working to reduce the flow of illegal opioids and related substances, precursor chemicals, and other controlled substances. Efforts to disrupt the involvement of organized crime groups in the production, trafficking, and sale of what are now increasingly toxic substances remain critical, including in support of public health measures to prevent, treat, and reduce the harms associated with the use of those substances. Recent and/or ongoing federal activities include:
  • acquisition of new infrastructure and tools required to assist in the safe examination and sampling of suspected highly toxic substances in addition to increasing intelligence, targeting, and training support;
  • investigating TSOC networks that traffic multiple commodities, within Canada and internationally, as well as online vendors and manufacturers;
  • providing an integrated policing response to drug trafficking and organized crime networks by working closely with local law enforcement agencies, as well as private industry partners, including chemical producers, retailers and distributors, to limit the chemicals used for legitimate purposes from being diverted for the illegal production of controlled substances; and,
  • maintaining strong relations with international partners, including the United States of America, to support joint operations and investigations involving cross-border drug activity, as well as to facilitate productive policy dialogue and information exchange.
Some stakeholders have reported that the criminalization of illegal drugs for personal use can perpetuate stigma, increase risks of overdose and other harms, and increase barriers to care. Canada recognizes that drug use stigma can prevent people who use substances from accessing the health and social services that they need and contributes to negative health outcomes. To help ensure that stigma is not present in police interactions with people who use drugs and to avoid causing more harm, Public Safety Canada launched an online training module specifically designed for law enforcement members in September 2020. The training raises awareness of the harms associated with substance use stigma and provides frontline law enforcement members with practical tools to support their interactions with people who use drugs.The Federal Government is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country. The Government is working to divert people who use drugs away from criminal justice systems and towards supportive and trusted relationships in health and social services. In addition to the passage of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act in May 2017, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada issued guidance to prosecutors directing that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for personal possession offences, except when there are serious aggravating circumstances.Moving forward, under the mandate of the new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Health Canada will continue working with its partners and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal strategy to address substance use in Canada, including the overdose crisis. Canada will continue to support provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to improve access to a full range of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services, in addition to leading efforts to reduce stigma and create national standards for substance use treatment programs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue, and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abuseOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledMarch 21, 2022441-00119441-00119 (Health)GordJohnsCourtenay—AlberniNDPBCFebruary 1, 2022March 21, 2022December 8, 2021PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLEDPetition to Address the Opioid CrisisWe, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled to the following:Whereas:Oover 4000 Canadians died in 2017 and over 2,800 in 2016 due to preventable opioid overdose resulting from fentanyl-poisoned sources; The number of preventable deaths has surpassed the total number of deaths of all other Public Health Emergencies in the last 20 years including SARS, H1N1, and Ebola; Those who have died as a result of a preventable opioid overdose from fentanyl-poisoned sources were valued citizens of this country: our children, siblings, spouses, parents, family members, clients, friends; Substance use is a normal part of human experience, documented across centuries and all over the world; The current war on drugs has been costly and grossly ineffective and resulted in widespread stigma towards addiction and against those who use illicit drugs; Criminalization of particular substances has resulted in the establishment of a drug trade that now traffics dangerous and lethal products, such as fentanyl; Regulating to ensure safe sources, with proper measures and bylaws, will reduce the criminal element associated with street drugs; Problematic substance use is a health issue and is not resolved through criminalizing personal possession and consumption; and Decriminalization of personal possession is associated with dramatically reducing overdose deaths in the countries that have modernized their drug policy.Therefore we, the undersigned, Citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
  • 1. Declare the current opioid overdose and fentanyl poisoning crisis a National Public Health Emergency under the Emergencies Act in order to manage and resource it with the aim to reduce and eliminate preventable deaths;
  • 2. Reform current drug policy to decriminalize personal possession; and
  • 3. Create with urgency and immediacy a system to provide safe unadulterated access to substances so that people who use substances, experimentally, recreationally or chronically, are not at imminent risk of overdose due to a contaminated source.
Response by the Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe Government of Canada recognizes that the overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which is having devastating impacts on individuals, friends and families, and communities across the country. Tragically, most recent national data indicates that 24,626 apparent opioid toxicity deaths occurred between January 2016 and June 2021. Fentanyl and its analogues continue to be major drivers of the crisis with as many as 87% of accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths so far in 2021 (January to June) involving fentanyl.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the complexity of this crisis has only increased due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a more uncertain and dangerous illegal toxic drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services, including life-saving harm reduction and treatment. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with provinces, territories, municipalities 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 during the pandemic.With respect to the request to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency, the federal Emergencies Act is a tool of last resort to ensure safety and security in the event of a national emergency that cannot be addressed by other levels of government or other laws. Such a declaration is not required at the federal level to access important tools to respond to the overdose crisis. In addition, the Government believes that the crisis requires a longer-term, sustained, and co-ordinated effort, which the Emergencies Act is not designed to provide.The Government of Canada’s approach to substance use issues aims to be 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. It includes four key pillars – prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and enforcement. 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 measures 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2016, the Government of Canada has taken urgent action to address the overdose crisis through significant investments of over $700 million. Recent examples of key federal investments in this area include:
  • over $182 million through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement and Budget 2021 in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide direct care services in a COVID-19 context and to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched, resulted in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services;
  • $200 million, with $40 million per year ongoing, to enhance the delivery of culturally appropriate addictions treatment and prevention services in First Nations communities; and,
  • $13 million over five years to launch a new national, multi-year public education campaign to help reshape Canadians’ attitudes and perceptions about people who use drugs.
The Government of Canada is continuing to work with provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous partners on options to address their regional needs. We have established federal, provincial, and territorial governance tables, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Problematic Substance Use & Harms to facilitate ongoing collaboration and consultation with provincial and territorial partners. We are also collaborating with provinces and territories to better understand the evolving crisis, and undertaking timely monitoring and reporting of opioid-related deaths and harms in Canada. Public health officers from the Public Health Agency of Canada have been deployed to support public health surveillance systems in provinces and territories.In addition, engagement with civil society organizations, direct care service providers, academics, people with lived and living experience, and other key stakeholders continues to inform federal actions to reduce opioid-related overdoses and deaths and improve the health and wellbeing of Canadians who use drugs. For example, we continue to engage with stakeholders to provide them with information about safer supply and encourage them to look and work within their sphere of influence to remove barriers to this practice. Safer supply services provide a pharmaceutical alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply as a way to help prevent overdoses, improve the health of people who use drugs, and help connect people to other health and social services. Health Canada is supporting a number of safer supply projects through the Substance Use and Additions Program (SUAP). We have also taken action to increase access to safer supply services by:
  • helping to build the evidence base for safer supply by supporting the evaluation of pilot projects and seeking expert advice, including from health professionals and people who use drugs; 
  • making it easier to access needed medications, including issuing exemptions from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; and,
  • sharing resources and guidance on treating substance use disorder for healthcare practitioners.
The Government of Canada has taken actions to reduce barriers to providing people who use drugs with a safer, pharmaceutical alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply. On August 24, 2020, the Minister of Health sent a letter to Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Health and regulatory colleges to encourage the provision of a full spectrum of care options to people who use drugs, including access to a safer supply. In addition, Health Canada has issued class exemptions to ease restrictions on the transportation of controlled substances and reduced barriers for pharmacists to make it easier for people to access the medications they need during the COVID-19 pandemic while following public health advice, such as physical distancing. Through Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program, the Government of Canada is supporting 17 safer supply projects across 29 sites in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick and one national community of practice, for a total investment of over $60 million. Seventeen of these projects are providing medications to people with substance use disorders as an alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply, and one is a National Community of Practice that focuses on the sharing of best practices and knowledge dissemination between providers of safer supply.The Government of Canada has also taken a number of steps to provide options for those seeking treatment for severe substance use disorder. On April 25, 2019, the Minister of Health added diacetylmorphine to the List of Drugs for an Urgent Public Health Need and on February 16, 2022, diacetylmorphine hydrochloride was formally approved by Health Canada as a supervised injectable opioid agonist therapy for adult patients with severe opioid use disorder. Amendments to federal regulations have also allowed health care practitioners to provide diacetylmorphine-assisted treatment outside of a hospital setting, if permitted by their province or territory. In addition, on May 1, 2019, Health Canada approved the use of injectable hydromorphone by qualified health care professionals as a treatment for adults with severe opioid use disorder. It has already been approved as a treatment option for severe opioid use disorder in a number of countries, including Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands.Canada is also providing guidance and leadership on the prescribing, dispensing, and delivery of opioids and other narcotics during the pandemic. For instance, through funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse developed a series of national guidance documents related to substance use in the context of COVID-19. Health Canada has also assembled a toolkit to provide clarity on prescribing for the treatment of substance use disorder and/or to provide a safer supply. Furthermore, the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health published a rapid review of clinical and cost-effectiveness of injectable opioid agonist treatment for patients with opioid dependence.The federal government recognizes that problematic substance use is, first and foremost, a public health issue not a criminal one. The Government of Canada has worked to implement a number of measures to divert people who use drugs away from the criminal justice system and towards trusted and supportive relationships. For example, the government passed the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act in May 2017, which provides some legal protection for people who experience or witness an overdose and call 911 or their local emergency number for help.. On August 18, 2020, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada issued guidance to prosecutors, directing that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for personal possession offences, except when there are serious aggravating circumstances. In addition, Health Canada is currently funding a three-year project in Peterborough, Ontario, to develop a multi-sector response to direct people who use drugs away from the justice system and into care. In March 2021, the Minister of Health commissioned an Expert Task Force on Substance Use, whose reports provide important advice with regards to alternatives to criminal penalties for simple possession of controlled substances and federal drug policy. Further to the Government’s commitment to reintroduce former Bill C-22 in the first 100 days of their mandate, on December 7, 2021, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada introduced Bill C-5, which proposes amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Among other measures, this Bill would repeal mandatory minimum penalties for drug related-offences, and would require prosecutors to consider alternative measures to laying charges or prosecuting individuals for simple possession of drugs, including diversion to treatment programs, giving a warning, or taking no further action.We are currently working with jurisdictions who have submitted a s. 56 exemption request for the decriminalization of illicit drugs for personal possession. We have received the Section 56 exemption requests from BC, Vancouver and Toronto Public Health and we are reviewing them on an urgent basis. Each request is reviewed on a case by case basis. The federal government knows other jurisdictions are also looking at other health-based approaches and we are working with our partners to find innovative solutions grounded on evidence. “Canada will continue to work with provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous partners on options to address their regional needs and help people who use drugs to get the support they need.The Government of Canada aims to take a comprehensive, collaborative, and compassionate public health focused approach to addressing substance use. We have been working with civil society organizations, front line responders, academics, people with lived and living experience, and other key stakeholders to reduce overdoses and deaths and improve the health and wellbeing of Canadians who use drugs. The federal government believes that substance use is a health issue, and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abuseOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 31, 2022441-00037441-00037 (Health)GordJohnsCourtenay—AlberniNDPBCDecember 6, 2021January 31, 2022December 3, 2021PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLEDPetition to Address the Opioid CrisisWe, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled to the following:Whereas:Oover 4000 Canadians died in 2017 and over 2,800 in 2016 due to preventable opioid overdose resulting from fentanyl-poisoned sources; The number of preventable deaths has surpassed the total number of deaths of all other Public Health Emergencies in the last 20 years including SARS, H1N1, and Ebola; Those who have died as a result of a preventable opioid overdose from fentanyl-poisoned sources were valued citizens of this country: our children, siblings, spouses, parents, family members, clients, friends; Substance use is a normal part of human experience, documented across centuries and all over the world; The current war on drugs has been costly and grossly ineffective and resulted in widespread stigma towards addiction and against those who use illicit drugs; Criminalization of particular substances has resulted in the establishment of a drug trade that now traffics dangerous and lethal products, such as fentanyl; Regulating to ensure safe sources, with proper measures and bylaws, will reduce the criminal element associated with street drugs; Problematic substance use is a health issue and is not resolved through criminalizing personal possession and consumption; and Decriminalization of personal possession is associated with dramatically reducing overdose deaths in the countries that have modernized their drug policy.Therefore we, the undersigned, Citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
  • 1. Declare the current opioid overdose and fentanyl poisoning crisis a National Public Health Emergency under the Emergencies Act in order to manage and resource it with the aim to reduce and eliminate preventable deaths;
  • 2. Reform current drug policy to decriminalize personal possession; and
  • 3. Create with urgency and immediacy a system to provide safe unadulterated access to substances so that people who use substances, experimentally, recreationally or chronically, are not at imminent risk of overdose due to a contaminated source.
Response by the Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Élisabeth BrièreThe Government of Canada recognizes that the overdose crisis is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history, which is having devastating impacts on individuals, our friends and families, and communities across the country. Tragically, most recent national data indicates that 24,626 apparent opioid toxicity deaths occurred between January 2016 and June 2021. Fentanyl and its analogues continue to be major drivers of the crisis with as many as 87% of accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths so far in 2021 (January to June) involving fentanyl.The Government of Canada also recognizes that the complexity of this crisis has only increased due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a more uncertain and dangerous illegal drug supply, resulting in tragic increases in overdose-related deaths across the country, as well as reduced access to health and social services, including life-saving harm reduction and treatment. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have been working with provinces, territories, municipalities 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 during the pandemic.With respect to the request for a declaration of a national public health emergency, such a declaration is not required at the federal level to access important responses to the opioid overdose crisis. The comprehensive federal response has included legislative and regulatory enabling measures, new prescription guidelines, marketing restrictions, awareness campaigns, improvements to the knowledge base, and emergency funding to provinces and territories. These measures were all put in place without a formal declaration of a public health emergency.The Government of Canada’s approach to substance use issues aims to be 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.  It includes four key pillars – prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and enforcement. In the context of the worsening overdose crisis, the Government is placing particular focus on:
  • ensuring that life-saving harm reduction measures 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 evidence-based treatment options;
  • continuing to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized drug 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.
Since 2016, the Government of Canada has taken urgent action to address the overdose crisis through significant investments of over $700 million. Recent examples of key federal investments in this area include:
  • over $182 million in support of community-based organizations responding to substance use issues, including investments to help them provide frontline services in a COVID-19 context and to scale-up key lifesaving measures and increase access to a safer drug supply as an alternative to the contaminated supply;
  • $150 million through the one-time Emergency Treatment Fund to provinces and territories, which, when cost-matched, resulted in an investment over $300 million to improve access to evidence-based treatment services;
  • $200 million, with $40 million per year ongoing, to enhance the delivery of culturally appropriate addictions treatment and prevention services in First Nations communities;
  • $13 million over five years to launch a new national, multi-year public education campaign to help reshape Canadians’ attitudes and perceptions about people who use drugs; and,
  • $116 million over two years, beginning in 2021-22, building on $66 million invested in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, to support a range of innovative approaches to harm reduction, treatment, and prevention at the community level.
In addition to these investments, in order to prevent and reduce substance-related harms, the Government of Canada has undertaken a broad range of policy, legislative and regulatory actions, such as:
  • approving exemptions to establish supervised consumption sites (with 38 currently in operation across Canada), and providing provincial and territorial class exemptions to facilitate the establishment of Urgent Public Health Need Sites (commonly known as overdose prevention sites);
  • supporting the passage of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, which encourages people to seek emergency help at the scene of an overdose by providing some legal protection against simple drug possession charges;
  • establishing effective Federal, Provincial and Territorial public health emergency governance, including the Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on Problematic Substance Use & Harms;
  • collaborating with provinces and territories to better understand the evolving crisis, and undertaking timely monitoring and reporting of opioid-related deaths and harms in Canada; and,
  • deploying public health officers from the Public Health Agency of Canada to support public health surveillance systems in provinces and territories.
The Government of Canada has worked to implement a number of measures to divert people who use drugs away from the criminal justice system and towards health and social services. For example, the government passed the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act in May 2017, which provides some legal protection for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose. On August 18, 2020, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada issued guidance to prosecutors, directing that alternatives to prosecution should be considered for personal possession offences, except when there are serious aggravating circumstances. In addition, Health Canada is currently funding a three-year project in Peterborough, Ontario, to develop a multi-sector response to direct people who use drugs away from the justice system and into care.In March 2021, the Minister of Health commissioned an Expert Task Force on Substance Use, whose reports provide important advice with regards to alternatives to criminal penalties for simple possession of controlled substances and federal drug policy.  Further to the Government’s commitment to reintroduce former Bill C-22 in the first 100 days of their mandate, on December 7, 2021, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada introduced Bill C-5, which proposes amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Among other measures, this Bill would repeal mandatory minimum penalties for drug related-offences, and would require prosecutors to consider alternative measures to laying charges or prosecuting individuals for simple possession of drugs, including diversion to treatment programs, giving a warning, or taking no further action. The Government of Canada will continue to work with provincial and municipal officials on options to address their regional needs and help people who use drugs to get the support they need.The Government of Canada has taken actions to reduce barriers to providing people who use drugs with a safer, pharmaceutical-grade alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply. On August 24, 2020, the Minister of Health sent a letter to Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Health and regulatory colleges to encourage the provision of a full spectrum of care options to people who use drugs, including access to a safer supply. In addition, Health Canada has issued class exemptions to ease restrictions on the transportation of controlled substances and reduced barriers for pharmacists to make it easier for people to access the medications they need during the COVID-19 pandemic while following public health advice, such as physical distancing. Through Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program, the Government of Canada is supporting 18 safer supply projects across 29 sites in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick for a total investment of over $60 million. Seventeen of these projects are providing medications to people with substance use disorders as an alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply, and one is a National Community of Practice that focuses on the sharing of best practices and knowledge dissemination between providers of safer supply.The Government of Canada has also taken a number of steps to provide options for those seeking treatment for severe substance use disorder. On April 25, 2019, the Minister of Health added diacetylmorphine to the List of Drugs for an Urgent Public Health Need. This addition makes it possible for provinces and territories to import this drug for the treatment of opioid use disorder. Amendments to federal regulations have also allowed health care practitioners to provide diacetylmorphine-assisted treatment outside of a hospital setting, if permitted by their province or territory. In addition, on May 1, 2019, Health Canada approved the use of injectable hydromorphone by qualified health care professionals as a treatment for adults with severe opioid use disorder. This is the first approval of injectable hydromorphone for this purpose in the world.The Government of Canada is also providing guidance and leadership on the prescribing, dispensing, and delivery of opioids and other narcotics during the pandemic. For instance, through funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse developed a series of national guidance documents related to substance use in the context of COVID-19. Health Canada has also assembled a toolkit to provide clarity on prescribing for the treatment of substance use disorder and/or to provide a safer supply. Furthermore, the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health published a rapid review of clinical and cost-effectiveness of injectable opioid agonist treatment for patients with opioid dependence.The Government of Canada will continue to take a comprehensive, collaborative, and compassionate public health focused approach to addressing substance use. We will continue to work with civil society organizations, front line responders, academics, people with lived and living experience, and other key stakeholders to reduce opioid-related overdoses and deaths, and improve the health and wellbeing of Canadians who use drugs. The Government of Canada believes that substance use is a health issue, and is committed to examining all options and evidence to respond to the tragic increase in overdoses and to help save lives, while also ensuring the safety of communities across the country.
DecriminalizationDrug use and abuseOpiates and opioidsPublic health
44th Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 31, 2022e-3593e-3593 (Health)TracyCasavantElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCOctober 29, 2021, at 2:33 p.m. (EDT)November 28, 2021, at 2:33 p.m. (EDT)November 30, 2021January 31, 2022November 29, 2021Petition to the <Addressee type="3" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">Government of Canada</Addressee>Whereas:Canadians living in every province and territory are at risk during the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic;Some Canadians have been better protected than others;International experience and Canada's own models indicate this risk will continue for many months; andInsufficient response to COVID-19 within any province or territory could pose a danger to other Canadian residents.We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:1. Deploy whatever resources and means necessary to ensure that Canadian citizens and residents located anywhere in Canada are offered COVID-19 public health and safety response tools, strategies, services, policies, and data collection and analytical methods that meet or exceed comparable guidance issued by the Government of Canada (e.g., deployment of rapid testing technology and of testing for asymptomatic individuals outlined in the Report “Priority strategies to optimize testing and screening for COVID-19 in Canada: Report” (Jan 2021);2. Consider not only legislative powers, but also the use of federal lands and services, to ensure the COVID-19 response in each province and territory meets or exceeds federal guidance (e.g., rapid test clinics could be established on federal lands in Provinces that are unwilling to set up such services); and3. Ensure that all provincial health responses reflect the Government of Canada science (e.g., that responses reflect predominantly aerosol transmission pathways with significant asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission events).
Response by the Minister of HealthSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Adam van KoeverdenOur government has taken unprecedented actions to respond to COVID-19 across Canada. Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial public health officials have responded to a variety of challenges in the ongoing management of COVID-19. Since January 2020, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Special Advisory Committee on COVID-19, composed of Canada’s Chief Medical Officers of Health, has held more than 200 meetings to facilitate a cohesive pan-Canadian approach to the COVID-19 response based on the latest available scientific evidence.In responding to COVID-19, public health officials recognize that the epidemiology of the virus varies significantly across regions in Canada, which is reflected in jurisdictional approaches to public health measures. Provinces and territories are responsible for the delivery and administration of healthcare and public health services, including public health surveillance, testing and screening initiatives, public health measures, and vaccine administration. Through the Safe Restart Agreement, the federal government has provided $19 billion to provinces and territories to help them safely restart their economies and prepare for resurgences.Key responsibilities of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) include protecting Canadians by coordinating a national public health response with provinces and territories, providing epidemiological and modelling information, preventing the spread of COVID-19 by financing and rolling out vaccines, and supporting a public health-focused border posture. PHAC also plays a key role in promoting science-based information through public communications and public health guidance. While the federal government works collaboratively with the provinces and territories to develop and update national guidance on COVID-19 and to help coordinate the response, the implementation of public health measures in jurisdictions, including testing, rests with provincial and territorial governments to address their own unique circumstances.Our government remains committed to supporting the provinces and territories with their pandemic response, including through requests for assistance. Federal support has been provided on request to provinces and territories on issues such as contact tracing, testing assistance, testing equipment, laboratory services, outbreak management, voluntary safe isolation sites, and vaccination administration IT programs. When provinces and territories need support, we will be there, and together, we will keep working closely to stop the spread of COVID-19.
COVID-19Federal-provincial-territorial relationsPandemicPublic health