No room for misinformation on drug policy

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/04/2025 (193 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Even as the Conservative Party of Canada falls further behind in public opinion polls, its leader is intent on using Trump-like tactics of misinformation and fearmongering to disparage Canada’s illicit drug policies.

That is neither a winning campaign strategy, nor a healthy and productive message to send to Canadians.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre unveiled his party’s strategy to tackle drug addiction Sunday, announcing a plan to fund recovery treatment for 50,000 people facing addiction.

As part of his campaign platform, Poilievre also said he would end funding for harm-reduction programs, such as supervised consumption sites – which he describes pejoratively as “drug dens” – and shutter those that are within 500 metres of schools, hospitals, daycares and playgrounds.

“Let’s be clear,” said Poilievre. “These drug consumption sites do not work.”

In fact, years of evidence from around the world, including in Canada, contradict Poilievre’s assertions.

Sunday’s barrage of misinformation about Canada’s addictions strategies was not a new approach by the Conservatives. Using the false dichotomy of treatment over harm reduction (the two are not mutually exclusive approaches to drug addiction), while spreading inaccurate information about the use of supervised consumption sites, has been the mainstay of the party’s illicit drug policies for several years. It is designed to instil fear in the public.

There is indisputable evidence that supervised consumption sites reduce overdose deaths and help connect illicit drug users to important health-care services, including addiction treatment for those ready to seek help.

That is precisely why the Supreme Court of Canada, in a 2011 landmark decision, upheld the use of supervised consumption sites and concluded the country’s first one — Insite, which opened its doors in 2003 in Vancouver — saves lives.

“Its benefits have been proven,” the top court wrote in a unanimous decision. “There has been no discernible negative impact on the public safety and health objectives of Canada during its eight years of operation.”

The evidence since then has only reinforced the benefits of supervised consumption sites. They provide non-judgmental access to treatment options for people suffering from addictions and offer users a safe place to consume drugs, where staff can intervene in the case of an overdose.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

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There has not been a single overdose death in any of Canada’s supervised consumption sites in 22 years.

Despite that, Poilievre and the Conservatives continue to spread falsehoods about harm reduction strategies (such as the availability of clean syringes and pipes to reduce the spread of infectious diseases or drug-checking to identify lethal concoctions of street drugs) claiming wrongly that they contribute to increased drug use, overdose deaths and higher crime rates.

Disseminating inaccurate information and using fearmongering to gain public support is exactly the kind of politics Canadians are observing south of the border, as U.S. President Donald Trump regularly spreads falsehoods to promote his destructive policies.

It’s no surprise then that as Poilievre continues to mimic those strategies that he falls further out of favour with Canadians. The Conservatives, who held a 25-point lead over the Liberals just a few months ago, now find themselves six points behind — according to the most recent aggregated poll results — as Canadians continue to be repulsed by Trump’s tactics and anyone who emulates them.

The rise of drug overdoses in Canada from dangerous street drugs, including opioids, is a complicated public health issue that should be managed with compassion and evidence-based decision making. There is no room in Canada for the kind of reckless misinformation Poilievre continues to spread about the country’s drug policies.