Question 1

Canada must scale up funding for combating addiction.

Accepted Answer

Canada’s addiction crisis is killing thousands of people every year and exacerbating related social ills, such as public disorder. No level of government has provided enough public funding to adequately address this problem. Budgets for tackling addiction must be scaled up significantly.

Question 2

Canada’s current model of “safer supply” isn’t working.

Accepted Answer

A significant portion of the drugs being distributed by Canada’s safer supply programs are being resold on the black market, leading to an increase in public access to these drugs, a drop in their street prices and rising addiction. Safer supply also appears to be causing infections among users. Many of these programs dissuade  drug users from engaging in recovery-oriented treatment. These harms must be investigated and publicized, and the low-quality evidence base behind  these programs must be scrutinized. Safer supply must be reformed so that program access is more controlled, dosing is strictly supervised, and regulated substances are provided only as a temporary measure to transition patients onto recovery-oriented treatment.

Question 3

Chronic pain patients should not be left behind.

Accepted Answer

Due to significant restrictions on pain-related opioid prescribing, and insufficient funding for non-pharmacological pain treatment, chronic pain patients are often left behind and forced to access street opioids or abuse safer supply programs. Supporting chronic pain patients is essential to solving the larger addiction puzzle, especially if access to safer safer supply is restricted. Canada should provide more funding for non-opioid and non-pharmacological pain treatments, such as physiotherapy, and cautiously explore loosening pain-related opioid-prescribing in some cases.

Question 4

Involuntary rehabilitation is acceptable for highly-addicted individuals who pose a threat to themselves and others.

Accepted Answer

For severely addicted individuals, whose brains are entirely hijacked by drugs and whose behaviour puts themselves and others in serious danger, involuntary rehabilitation can be a compassionate intervention. While some argue that involuntary addiction treatment may conflict with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it is nonetheless worth exploring – an ethical and legal framework could be modelled after involuntary treatment for those undergoing severe mental health crises.

Question 5

Sublocade should be widely available.

Accepted Answer

Sublocade is a monthly injection of buprenorphine which can act as a de-facto vaccine against opioid abuse. Higher doses of Sublocade can also provide significant l protection from overdose. There needs to be more public awareness of these treatment options.

Question 6

Indigenous-informed approaches to addiction treatment matter.

Accepted Answer

Due to historical trauma and societal exclusion, indigenous communities have been disproportionately impacted by alcohol and drug abuse. At the same time, many indigenous communities have developed their own, culturally-specific approaches to addiction which stress sobriety and community participation. Within these communities, treatment may include using cultural and spiritual practices, such as sweat lodges and mentoring with elders, for psychosocial support. Policymakers should support indigenous-informed treatment for indigenous communities, and make Indigenous-informed treatments available to non-Indigenous Canadians who may prefer these options.

Question 7

Addiction issues within the LGBTQ population needs more attention.

Accepted Answer

Substance abuse is an underappreciated problem among LGBTQ Canadians. The popularization of “chemsex” (mixing drugs with sex) has been particularly concerning, and has fuelled a long-term, invisible methamphetamine epidemic among gay men. While LGBTQ-specific organizations are addressing these issues, some community stakeholders appear to be exacerbating the crisis by arguing that chemsex and meth should be “destigmatized” and normalized. More attention needs to be invested into exploring these issues, and leveraging community-specific networks to reduce addiction.

Question 8

Addiction treatment should be heavily subsidized to maximize accessibility.

Accepted Answer

Addiction care should be fully funded so that services are free and available on-demand. It is morally indefensible that Canadians are currently being denied access to life-saving treatments due to excessive costs and wait times. Considering the downstream costs of addiction (i.e. hospitalization, incarceration), increasing investment into treatment is also fiscally responsible.

Question 9

The recovery industry needs more regulation and scrutiny.

Accepted Answer

Recovery centres are inconsistently regulated throughout Canada, which can create confusion and gaps that undermine the quality of patient care. The government must do more to ensure that recovery providers operate in a consistent, transparent, and accountable manner, especially if increased public funding subsidizes demand for their services.

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