Confronting Canada’s Toxic Drug Crisis
The toxic drug crisis has devastated communities and families across the country. Between January 2016 and September 2024, at least 50,928 lives were lost because of toxic, unregulated drugs, while thousands more have been hospitalized or have acquired chronic brain injuries. As the NDP Critic for Mental Health and Substance Use, Gord tirelessly advocated for a comprehensive, coordinated, compassionate plan to address this public health emergency, including:
- Tabling Bill C-216: The Health-Based Approach to Substance Use Act, which would have required the government to table a comprehensive strategy within one year to address the harms caused by problematic substance use, including measures to address root causes and ensure universal access to supports. In support of the bill, Gord travelled to twelve cities across Canada to hear from those most affected by the crisis. Unfortunately, Bill C-216 was defeated at second reading by the Liberals and the Conservatives.
- Travelling to Portugal at his own expense to meet with policymakers and experts to learn about the country's success in confronting their drug epidemic, including reducing both deaths and the number of chronic daily users.
- Pushing to make mental health and substance use health a federal priority. Gord has risen the most of any British Columbia Member of Parliament in the House of Commons to discuss mental health and treatment. His advocacy has led to increased investment in the mental health needs of Canadians, including the launch of the Youth Mental Health Fund and the Emergency Treatment Fund.
- Tabling Bill C-414: An Act to amend the Canada Health Act (mental, addictions and substance use health services) which proposed to amend the Canada Health Act to include community-based mental health, addictions, and substance use health services as insured services under our universal public healthcare system. This was the first bill ever introduced in the House of Commons to address the difference in treatment between mental and physical health.
Gord’s job is not done. He will continue to push for an effective emergency response to the toxic drug crisis that includes rapidly scaling up evidence-based prevention, education, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery supports.
For more information on Gord’s record, visit openparliament.ca, an independent website that helps you “Keep tabs on Parliament”.