Introduce a comprehensive strategy to address problematic substance use to end the opioids crisis.

Invest $25 million for public education to reduce the stigma associated with problematic substance use.

Invest $500 million to support the provinces and territories in providing access to a full-range of evidence-based treatment, recognizing that successful treatment is not determined by long-term abstinence.

Support provinces and territories in creating standards for substance use treatment programs so that Canadians can access quality and evidence- based support when they need it most.

Support the many lower-risk and first-time offenders by reforming the Criminal Code to repeal relevant mandatory minimum penalties and requiring police and Crown prosecutors to consider diverting individuals out of the criminal justice system.

— Forward. For Everyone., retrieved 2021-09-02

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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.

— Canada's Recovery Plan, retrieved 2021-08-18

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New Democrats believe that there is much more we can do to save lives and support those struggling with opioids. In government, we will declare a public health emergency and commit to working with all levels of government, health experts and Canadians to end the criminalization and stigma of drug addiction, so that people struggling with addiction can get the help they need without fear of arrest, while getting tough on the real criminals - those who traffic in and profit from illegal drugs. We’ll work with the provinces and health professionals to create a safe supply of medically regulated alternatives to toxic street drugs, support overdose prevention sites and expand access to treatment on demand for people struggling with addiction. We will also launch an investigation into the role drug companies may have played in fueling the opioid crisis, and seek meaningful financial compensation from them for the public costs of this crisis.

— Ready for Better, retrieved 2021-08-27

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1. Declare the drug poisoning crisis a national public health emergency

2. Decriminalize possession of illicit drugs for personal use

● Remove criminal penalties for the personal possession and use of all drugs under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

● Legislate this change rather than relying on informal, incremental, and discretionary measures that fall short of real decriminalization.

3. Create a national safe supply of drugs of choice

● Create a programme through the federal government so people can access pharmaceutical alternatives of drugs of choice safely.

4. Invest in an integrated system of decriminalization and access to meaningful services for those persons who are seeking treatment

● Increase funding to community-based organizations to test drugs and support those who use drugs.

● Implement a national education and distribution program for Naloxone, so Naloxone kits are widely available to treat overdoses and every Canadian knows what it is and how to use it.

● Create a legal and policy environment that funds and advances evidence-based programmes, in order to facilitate the development and scaling up of harm reduction services across all of Canada, including in rural communities and prisons.

● Expand support for mental health services and addiction services for those who are seeking these services.

5. Amnesty for those convicted of simple possession of cannabis

● Provide automatic pardons to anyone convicted in the past of simple possession of cannabis and ensure that any records of such offences and circumstances are expunged from police records.

6. Move to legally regulate currently illegal drugs based on the best available evidence regarding harms and benefits as a step towards treating problematic drug use as a health issue.

● Drug regulation with a public health focus, as is the case with alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis in Canada currently, could provide safer access while protecting individuals and populations.

● Depending on the substance and potential harms and benefits, regulation could range from prescriptions to regulated outlets to licensed premises, with the aim of providing safer access for adults, while protecting children and youth.

— Be Daring., retrieved 2021-09-22

● Approach the drug poisoning crisis as a healthcare issue, not a criminal issue

● Declare drug poisonings a national health emergency.

● Recognize that fentanyl contamination is why deaths are more accurately described as poisonings than overdoses.

● Decriminalize the possession of drugs for personal use.

● Ensure there is access to a safe screened and public supply of drugs of choice.

● Ensure there is access to the medical support drug users need.

● Increase funding to community-based organizations to test street drugs.

● Make Naloxone kits widely available to treat overdoses.

— Be Daring., retrieved 2021-09-11

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