Drug enforcement dilemma

PC MLA asks government to commit to provincewide unit

In the wake of several recent fentanyl overdoses, a Progressive Conservative MLA was pushing the government Thursday to create a provincial drug enforcement unit.

But when MontagueKilmuir MLA Cory Deagle pressed Justice Minister Bloyce Thompson on the issue, he didn’t get the commitment he was looking for.

During Thursday’s question period, Deagle said there is rampant use of drugs throughout the province, and he referred to four overdoses this year, including one involving someone who died.

“I think in order to tackle this issue head-on we need a provincial drug enforcement unit,” he said.

Earlier this month, chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison issued a warning about fentanyl in the province after three people overdosed in a span of little more than a day.

With his questions Thursday, it was the second time this week Deagle brought the issue of drugs in P.E.I. to the floor of the legislature.

On Wednesday, Health Minister James Aylward told the house there have been four reported accidental overdoses this year, including three related to fentanyl.

Deagle started his questions Thursday by asking Thompson how many drug enforcement units there are in the province.

Thompson responded that there is a joint drug enforcement unit in Prince County and later added that Charlottetown police also has a unit.

He also said the province’s policing agencies are interested in working together to fight drug crime in P.E.I., but Thompson didn’t commit to Deagle’s request to fund a provincewide enforcement unit.

“I will commit to looking into it and I will commit to bringing something back,” he said.