Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones is taking issue with federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s talk of forcing people with drug addictions into treatment as the country grapples with a deadly opioid crisis.
In another sign of tensions between the provincial and federal Tories, with polls suggesting Poilievre is poised to become Canada’s next prime minister, Jones said mandatory rehab is the wrong path.
“I have concerns that involuntary treatment would not lead to the outcomes that we want,” Jones said Wednesday at Mount Sinai Hospital.
“But having said that, when we see the opportunity and the need for intervention, and people are willing to take on those treatments to make a difference, that’s when we can show them our government is committed.”
Already worried enough about a Poilievre victory in the next federal election that would mean nothing good for the provinces (reduced transfer payments, ending the Trudeau strategy on EV production, etc.), Doug Ford is said to be contemplating an early Ontario election to get ahead of the fiscal bloodshed that will ensue with a Poilievre victory. It is therefore crucial for him to distinguish his government from the federal one-in-waiting, without alienating his right-wing supporters.
Jones said the province, where Premier Doug Ford has expressed reservations about safe consumption sites, has a new addictions plan coming in which “treatment is a very large portion.”
No further details were made available, but it is clear Ford sees the danger in too close an alignment with the kinds of draconian measures being proposed by Poilievre. But he will also have to face the fact that even more than his own government, Poilievre is very good at dumbing down important public policy issues to mere soundbites. Indeed, I would not be surprised if, along with his other facile pronouncements like axe the tax, spike the hike, jail, not bail and hard time for hard crime, PP's braintrust comes up with something like nix the fix!
Has a bit of a ring, doncha think?
Perhaps, Help the helpless ! could convince you that the best of intentions have failed to help the addicted and its time to enforce treatment upon these unfortunate human beings?
ReplyDeleteGiven that there is a, unfortunately, huge lack of sympathy for those with addictions it is time to do what could be the best for them .
As much as I feel forced treatment will help the danger is that it will become the only remedy offered by government.
TB
The problem, as see it, is twofold, TB. One, I think a person really has to be motivated to get off drugs. Here's a simple example: when i was young, I was a smoker. Over the years, I had tried to quit, but was ultimately unsuccessful until my last attempt. The reason for failure was obvious; while I knew that smoking was bad for me, I never felt it as a conviction. It was just something one should do. When I finally quit for good, it was because I truly wanted to. I, and several of my friends, had bought bikes, and the more I biked the more I felt my lung capa city increasing, and realized it would be foolish to undermine that by continuing to smoke. Mission accomplished.
DeleteThe second aspect for me is a legal one. Unless a person has been declared incompetent, the state cannot and should not force rehab on anyone. That is far too authoritarian to me, and it is not a state I would be happy to live in.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Lorne - it is neither ethical nor legal to lock someone up just to get them off drugs.
Safe injection sites are the best approach, because they also help addicted people understand how rehab is possible.
I believe, Cathie, that the first step in overcoming addiction is motivation, something that is often hard to find, as it was with me and smoking. Of course, the other component is addressing some of the social conditions that lead to or aggravate addiction, such as homelessness.
DeletePresident/dictator Bukele of El Salvador was faced with out of control gang warfare driven by the drug trade.
ReplyDeleteHis remedy was to incarcerate over 60,000 people some of which were innocent.
Bukele's remedy worked!
Do you wish Canada's problem to degenerate to such a degree that we have to do the same?
A little discomfort now is going to save a whole lot of grief in the future.
That junkie I saw, down town, this morning with a needle in his arm was in no mood to seek council!
Your comparison to smokers is a false one; I know I was a two pack a day man!
I realised I had a problem , sought help and quit cold turkey.
My wife also a smoker had to have major lung surgery to convince her to quit.
The average junkie ( a terrible word) is seldom aware of his or her situation; I have worked amongst them as a volunteer and experienced their actions at soup kitchens and drop in centres.
Had we tackled drug use and it's effects 20 or more years ago when the drugs were not so addictive then yes motivation 'may' have worked.
But no we did not we ignored the issue and now we have a world wide drug dependent sub culture that is destroying our inner cities!
Is it not time to say we fucked up , time to re evaluate?
I wish to help the disadvantaged , not pacify them.
Trailblazer
I still cannot agree with you, TB. Unless a person is declared incompetent through proper legal proceedings, the state has no place in forcing treatment upon anyone. As you said, the leader of El Salavador is a dictator. It reminds me of even harsher measures enacted in the Philippines, where drug dealers wee summarily and extralegally executed. Innocent people were taken there too.
DeleteRe El Salvador, I was merely stating that some issues can only be solved by draconian measures.
ReplyDeleteClimate change is another!
TB
Duly noted, TB.
Delete