Harm-reduction groups in Manitoba want the provincial government’s new addictions services bill rescinded, saying it “closes that door” to supervised consumption sites “under the cover of regulation.”

Meanwhile, on a visit to Winnipeg, Canada’s minister of mental health said some may be “misunderstanding” harm reduction, which she said saves lives.

“I have some concern that there is some misunderstanding about the role of harm reduction across the country,” Carolyn Bennett, federal Minister for Mental Health and Addictions, said Wednesday when asked about her response to the proposed Manitoba regulations at a morning news conference.

“When you think of 40,000 overdoses being reversed in safe consumption sites across the country, that those are lives that have been saved.”

Bennett said harm reduction is a key part of addictions care.

“To truly help people, our approach must include harm reduction in addition to the prevention and treatment,” she said. “Unfortunately, some people don’t seem to be able to understand that the evidence is there: harm reduction saves lives.”

A day earlier, Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative government introduced Bill 33 (Addiction Services Act), which would require groups providing addiction services to apply for a provincial licence, and in the case of supervised consumption sites, it would be in addition to an existing Health Canada exemption.

The legislation will regulate the sector, improving transparency, accountability and safety, the province says.

Critics say it puts up barriers to addictions care.

“This bill does not ‘open the door’ to supervised consumption sites,” reads a joint statement from community groups including Main Street Project, Manitoba Harm Reduction Network, Moms Stop the Harm, and Sunshine House.

“Rather, it closes that door under the cover of regulation. The need to support harm-reduction services in Manitoba, and the continuum of care which includes supervised consumption and overdose prevention services, is urgent and immediate.”

If groups offering addictions services don’t apply or get approved for a licence — such as Sunshine House’s mobile overdose prevention service — the operations would be shut down. The rules in the proposed legislation would take effect January 2025, with a six-month grace period for existing groups to comply.

The statement says the bill “threatens” the Sunshine House project. No signatories were consulted on the bill, they wrote. The group is calling on the province to rescind the bill and to meet with addictions service providers and people who use drugs.

“No one enters a recovery program — no matter how well regulated — after they are dead,” the statement reads.

In a statement Wednesday, a spokesperson for Mental Health and Community Wellness Minister Janice Morley-Lecomte said the bill and licensing “will focus on safety, and on preventing service providers from working in isolation of the Manitoba health system.”

On Tuesday, Morley-Lecomte raised concerns about such sites operating with federal — but not provincial — approval: “We need to act to ensure Manitobans can be confident in the quality and safety of services.”

At Bennett’s news conference Wednesday, the federal minster said she would review the Manitoba bill and “look forward” to speaking with the province.

She defended the Health Canada exemption.

“I hope that people know that when, as the federal government, we grant (a Health Canada exemption), that there is extraordinary due diligence to make sure of the safety, efficacy, all of the precautions,” she said, speaking at the West Broadway Community Organization.

Bennett was in Winnipeg to announce $13 million in federal funding for 11 harm-reduction initiatives in the Prairies, Northwest Territories and Yukon, including $135,000 for two part-time harm-reduction workers at the West Broadway agency.

Kelly Frazer, executive director of the organization, called the funding “heartening.”

“Harm reduction is evidence-based and plays a crucial role in addressing the toxic drug crisis, poverty crisis and the homelessness crisis our city is facing,” she said.

Too often, such initiatives are under-resourced, Frazer said.

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While Premier Heather Stefanson’s government has long-faced harsh criticism for refusing to support supervised consumption sites — preferring to focus on recovery — it appeared to be pivoting on the issue.

In an opinion piece published in the March 14 edition of the Free Press, Morley-Lecomte wrote: “Forthcoming measures could open a new window in the future for licensed and regulated supervised consumption sites.”

However, later that day, Morley-Lecomte told reporters she has concerns about the “safety” of the sites.

Critics say both harm reduction and treatment are needed to help people with addictions, arguing the government’s position is based on ideology; the province says it’s based on evidence.

katrina.clarke@freepress.mb.ca

Katrina Clarke
Investigative reporter

Katrina Clarke is an investigative reporter with the Winnipeg Free Press.

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