Supplying addicts with drugs not the answer

Dependency on illicit street narcotics is highly treatable, Jason Luan writes.

I read with interest recently the suggestion of a so-called “safe supply” of illicit drugs.

Advocates for the liberal use of hard drugs have expressed their opinions in the media that illicit drugs “may” become more potent, and are campaigning for a taxpayer-funded supply.

Their claim that the illegal hard drug supply is more toxic than it has been in recent years is not grounded in evidence. Drug intelligence sources from both the Calgary Police Service and Edmonton Police Service confirm the drug supply is no more toxic now than it has been in the past.

Illicit drugs have always been and will always be deadly and dangerous. For people suffering from addiction, there is no safe supply of addictive narcotics.

Addiction does not exist in drugs; it exists in people.

Therefore, the solution exists in people and not in tinkering with the drug supply. Supplying these narcotics to addicts will not end the addiction crisis in which we find ourselves. Let us not forget this current crisis began with doctors freely prescribing opioids to the general population.

The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences. This illness causes social, spiritual, biological and psychosocial issues that may involve trauma — none of which is treated by the prescription of opioids.

Addiction is highly treatable but often left untreated, which is why our government has committed $140 million to make treatment and recovery available to all Albertans struggling with addiction in every corner of our province.

It is why we have committed to the creation of 4,000 publicly funded spaces for Albertans to begin a healing journey — of which we have achieved more than 3,000 additional spaces in just one year. And it is why we are partnering with high-quality, nationally accredited service providers who address every aspect of addiction.

It is our government’s priority to ensure people struggling with addiction have access to world-class care, even during times of natural disasters, global pandemics, and economic uncertainty.

Never in Alberta’s history has it been easier for people with addiction to get treatment. Until recently, Albertans were lined up for months to get into treatment beds. Now, they can get into treatment within three to seven days.

This is a significant change to the continuum of care in our province. It is an approach gaining recognition across the country for its comprehensive and thoughtful approach to treating the disease of addiction.

This new Alberta model does not, and will not, include the unethical supply of taxpayer-funded hard drugs to support addiction.

In the March 2020 edition of The Canadian Journal of Addiction, the board of the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine shared their grave concerns about the flexible model of “safe supply” and encouraged other physicians to speak up when they see practices that are causing harm to patients and communities. We’ve heard their concerns, and we’re listening.

Our government is committed to a high-quality and easily accessible system of care for both mental health and addiction. Albertans deserve no less.

Jason Luan is associate minister for Mental Health and Addiction.