Supporting Canadians Suffering from Addiction

Canada’s Conservatives will treat the opioid epidemic as the health issue that it is. We believe that law enforcement should focus on dealers and traffickers. The last thing that those suffering from addiction should have to worry about is being arrested. Any interaction the government has with them should focus on keeping them safe and helping them recover.

To help more Canadians recover from addiction, Canada’s Conservatives will revise the federal government’s substance abuse policy framework to make recovery its overarching goal. We will reorient the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy towards ensuring that everyone suffering from addiction has the opportunity to recover and to lead a drug-free life and that all policies that fall under the Strategy have the reduction of harm and promotion of recovery as their objectives.

To realize this goal, we will:

• Invest $325 million over the next three years to create 1,000 residential drug treatment beds and build 50 recovery community centres across the country.
• This will give spaces to those who suffer from addiction, their families, and those who have recovered where they can get the help they need and support each other.
• Support innovative approaches to address the crises of mental health challenges and addiction, such as land-based treatment programs developed and managed by Indigenous communities as part of a plan to enhance the delivery of culturally appropriate addictions treatment and prevention services in First Nations communities with high needs.
• Partner with the provinces to ensure that Naloxone kits are available for free across Canada.