Liberal health minister balks at banning drug sites near schools, daycares

Liberal Health Minister Marjorie Michel has refused to say if she would stop approving new drug sites near schools, daycares and playgrounds, even as public safety concerns grow.

Source: CPAC

Liberal Health Minister Marjorie Michel has refused to say if she would stop approving new drug sites near schools, daycares and playgrounds, even as public safety concerns grow.

During a House of Commons health committee, Conservative MP and health critic Dan Mazier grilled Michel and other health officials on federally sanctioned illicit drug consumption sites. He questioned why the government permits them to operate close to areas used by young children.

After some questioning, Michel said fentanyl was “one of the drugs most used” at the sites, designed to allow users a supervised space to use otherwise illegal drugs.

Kendal Weber, the assistant deputy minister of health, confirmed with Mazier that the sites allow users to smoke meth, crack and consume other drugs such as fentanyl during a committee meeting last week and confirmed again on Thursday.

Mazier asked the health minister if she would “commit today” to not approving another drug site near daycares, schools or playgrounds. Michel refused to say the Liberals wouldn’t approve another.

“I can confirm that my department will continue to work to protect the health of Canadians,” she said.

The Conservatives released a statement after the committee, condemning the minister and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government for refusing to stop fentanyl consumption near areas built for children.

“The Health Minister admitted that she is aware that fentanyl is the most used drug in federally approved consumption sites, but still refuses to stop allowing these fentanyl drug dens next to children,” Mazier said in the statement. “Allowing fentanyl consumption sites next to children is dangerous and unacceptable. Conservatives are calling on the Prime Minister to shut down drug dens next to children, now.”

The statement also mentioned Michel claimed the health department reviews requests for drug consumption sites and admitted she doesn’t approve of Health Canada’s recommendations. Conservatives said her statements “prove” how “out of touch” Carney’s health minister is with the issue.

Weber also told Conservatives that supervised drug sites approved by Health Canada do supply syringes and crack pipes for drug use as part of a harm reduction effort. Weber said the federal government does not track how much paraphernalia is handed out by the drug sites.

Liberal MP Doug Eyolfson asked Michel to clarify that the federal government wasn’t supplying drugs or drug paraphernalia at the site, and Michel confirmed that users are expected to bring their own drugs to consumption sites.

“That’s exactly why the consumption sites were set up, so that people who, in any case, are taking illegal drugs. And that’s regretful. No one should be taking drugs or selling illegal drugs,” Michel said. “But these people, for lots of different reasons, do use illegal drugs, and the consumption sites have been set up, in fact, to prevent overdoses so these people do not die. That is the ultimate aim.”

Conservative MP Helena Konanz further grilled Michel on the federal program allowing British Columbia to decriminalize drugs. Last week B.C. Premier David Eby said he was “wrong” about drug decriminalization and that it was not the right policy.

In March, a study conducted by experts from Memorial University in St. John’s, research from the University of Manitoba and Weill Cornell Medicine in New York found that safer supply policies and decriminalization in British Columbia were linked to a 58% rise in opioid-related hospitalizations.

Konanz asked why the federal government doesn’t stop the program since Eby admitted it was harmful, but Michel said the province has yet to ask the federal government to end the decriminalization experiment.