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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 229

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 4, 2023 02:00PM
Context: House Hansard - 229 - Oct/4/23
Mr. Brad Vis
  • Oct/4/23 6:59:06 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, my office is right beside Haven in the Hollow, and I see every day the impacts of the approach taken by the government. At the end of the day, I believe that all of us in the House have one thing in common, and that is that we do not want to see people die. I firmly believe that, but the actions taken by the government were irresponsible because none of the four pillars that my colleague from Milton mentioned, which are prevention, harm reduction, treatment and enforcement, are tied to the agreement with the province of British Columbia. Since the implementation of those actions, all we have seen is an increase in the number of deaths. I would be pleased to meet with the group he mentioned. I would also encourage him to come to Vancouver and come to the Fraser Valley, where it is a fact that we do not have treatment options available for people who want to get clean, who want to restart their lives and who want to have a fighting chance at breaking addiction. The government is not supportive of those actions.
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Context: House Hansard - 229 - Oct/4/23
Mr. Adam van Koeverden
  • Oct/4/23 7:00:08 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is categorically false that the government has not supported recovery options. That is absolutely not the case. Harm reduction services are a vital part of a comprehensive, compassionate and collaborative public health approach to problematic substance use, which includes prevention, enforcement, treatment and additional social and health supports. I appreciate the invitation from my colleague, but, tragically, Milton and the GTA are also experiencing an opioid crisis. However, there is harm reduction that occurs in my riding. I have met with pharmacists who assist people living with addiction to get the services and the treatment they require so that they can continue their lives and their journey toward a drug-free life. There are a lot of people in the Lower Mainland whom I would encourage my colleague to meet with. Furthering the stigma attached to people who use substances is not a solution to saving their lives.
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