Health committee  Thank you, Mr. Johns. We all know how easy it is to get any illicit drugs anywhere in the country. Drug dealers don't check IDs. I gave the example of the young Olivia who died. In terms of safe supply, there are huge barriers for people who need this to save their lives. In British Columbia, where it is available, it takes a prescriber who is willing to work with the person.

Health committee  We see it again with the Alberta model. That is failing because Alberta has chosen to keep a focus on only a narrow scope of opinions, whereas when we let the experts lead, we look at all the available evidence and follow that. Having experts lead means that we can have people in the room who use drugs show us what works for them and what is effective.

Health committee  Community-led approaches are really important because the community is not only those who have experience, but also the ones who can carry it forward. That is why it is so important to include affected communities. Something that is not often talked about is that in some of our communities in Canada, substance use is even more stigmatized.

Health committee  Thank you for your kind words. Stigma is a barrier to getting help. As long as substance use is as deeply stigmatized as it is now, people will hide their use, and we know that men are disproportionately affected among the victims; about 80% are men. Stigma makes it harder for people to reach out.

Health committee  It should be age appropriate. I'm an educator, and I get this question a lot. We should discuss substance use when we discuss other issues young people need to learn about, like how to address alcohol and safe sex, and we should not separate it out. Put it in the entire package when we discuss, at an age-appropriate level, of course, with our young people how to keep them safe, and we should focus on, as much as possible, reducing....

Health committee  For example, it's saying that the streets are plastered with safe supply. They are not. Alberta shows you that. Even in British Columbia, we hear that from the chiefs of police. We hear that from the chief coroner. Safe supply is not what is killing people; unregulated drugs are.

Health committee  Not on the streets, no, but that is not what anybody is proposing—

Health committee  It's not a one or the other. We need both. My son wanted treatment. I made an appointment with his counsellor and with his doctor, but he was dead the very same day I made the appointment. If we don't keep people alive and well, we can have all the treatment beds: They will be empty when everyone is dead.

Health committee  I feel anger and frustration, but I also feel disbelief that somebody, who is the leader of a national political party, can share information that is not factual and does not align with what has actually happened on decriminalization or on safe supply. I urge you all to look at the evidence that shows the effectiveness of those measures, and that's where we have to focus back.

Health committee  Mr. Poilievre is missing. I've reached out to him again, saying that we tried a year ago to meet with him. We've written to him several times. I saw Minister Saks this morning. She made time. With you, I know I can reach you when I need you, but Mr. Poilievre has not heeded our calls for a meeting.

Health committee  What is happening in my province is heartbreaking. We have seen a government with a myopic focus on treatment. Trust me: treatment is important. We love treatment. We love recovery as families, but we have to make sure that people are well and alive. Even within that treatment model, a recovery-oriented system of care has been in place for four and a half years, yet, as you outlined, we have some of the highest increases in the country.

Health committee  Thank you for the question and your kind words. With Danny, obviously he was not at a point where he wanted to stop using. Many people who use substances are not at a time or in the right position to stop using, but everybody deserves the right to live. At that point, if Danny had had access to regulated alternatives, they would have given him a chance to use a substance that would not have killed him, and would also have connected him to a health system and opened doors for him to get other supports.

Health committee  It was most certainly a huge factor, the fact that he had access to only unregulated substances and that he felt he had to hide his use. His dream was to join the army. That was one thing he wanted to do, and he knew that having a record of substance use would have prevented that, so he very much wanted to hide that from the public eye, but also from his family, which ultimately meant that he was alone when he died.

Health committee  Thank you for this opportunity. I am co-founder of Moms Stop the Harm, representing thousands of families across Canada. Most mourn a loved one due to the toxic drug crisis, and many support loved ones with lived or living experience. Our website includes 600 images of loved ones who have died.