Op-ed: Trudeau Silent While B.C. plans to give ‘safer supply’ fentanyl to minors.

Provincial governments providing fentanyl to addicts, a handful of activist nurses arguing banning drug use in parks and playgrounds is a violation of a drug user’s human rights and a federal government pushing for decriminalization of hard drugs and assisted suicide for those suffering with mental illness and addiction.

A few years ago, these statements would have been deemed absurd, reckless, and even dangerous, but in the world of the Liberal-NDP coalition this is the new reality in Canada.

When 22 people are dying each day from opioid overdoses in Canada each day and crime, chaos and fear dominate our communities to say we have an opioid crisis is contrite and frankly naïve.

If it is possible, it is much worse than a crisis and to see Liberal and NDP governments double-down on these failed drug policies is heartbreaking.

As a father and a strong advocate for addictions treatment and recovery, my concerns have truly deepened as we witness Canada heading down a disturbing path, as Liberal and NDP governments facilitate the consumption of dangerous drugs by vulnerable Canadians, many of them being youth.

Canada is amid a drug epidemic with a total of 40,642 opioid toxicity deaths between January 2016 and June 2023. In the first half of 2023 alone, Canada was averaging 22 deaths per day.

These are brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters who are dying far too early because of a failed drug policy. A drug policy which has flooded our streets with dangerous opioids.

The drug decriminalization, enabled by Trudeau and his NDP friends, has been a complete and utter disaster. The horrific state of the streets across Canada is a testament to the failures of this policy which lack critical safeguards in order to protect our most vulnerable.

The focus of resources on “safe supply” rather than treatment and recovery is disastrous. There is nothing “safe” about providing people with toxic substances often more powerful than heroin. Safe supply is not saving lives, it is prolonging addictions and leading to overdose deaths.

I have experienced first-hand the tragedy of this epidemic. The worst part is when your loved ones turn for help and seek recovery, there is nothing available.

Now, the BC NDP government is enlisting British Columbia Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU) to empower clinicians to prescribe hazardous fentanyl to minors under the guise of “safe supply” without the need of informed parental consent.

This is unconscionable and cannot be allowed to happen. This will only exacerbate the problem and inevitably lead to more overdose deaths of our children.

We are setting up the future generation for failure when Liberal and NDP governments providing toxic addictive drugs like fentanyl to youth under the guise of being “safe”.

Safe supply leads to diversion, perpetuating the opioid crisis by fueling the next generation of addicts with cheap government-supplied opioids.  

No parent should ever have to fear government policy will provide a child access to opioids, period.

Experiencing a fentanyl overdose with my daughter was my worst nightmare come true. It is a trauma I sincerely hope no parent, or child, will ever have to experience. We are blessed my brave, strong daughter who recovered and is flourishing. Not all stories have a happy ending. 

With hospitals overwhelmed and a 300% surge in drug overdoses in BC, it is evident the focus on decriminalization and providing a safe supply is not working.

It is essential we create policies to facilitate recovery, not policies which focus on access to opioids. Recovery models such as the approach taken by the Alberta Government which prioritizes recovery communities and addiction treatment spaces is a huge step in the right direction. 

In contrast, the Harm Reduction Nurses Association wants open drug use in public spaces, and Trudeau and his NDP friends covet an approach of decriminalization and safe supply contributing to drug abuse, chaos, and crime in our communities.

Through my own personal experience, I am committed to finding meaningful solutions to the opioid crisis, and a federal Conservative vision will emphasize the need for effective partnerships and a fundamental shift away from failed drug experiments towards a model where resources are focused on treatment, recovery, and positive results.