October 3, 2013
Toronto, Ontario
Check Against Delivery
Good afternoon,
Our Government takes seriously the harm caused by dangerous and addictive drugs. These drugs can tear families apart, lead to criminal behaviour and destroy lives.
That is why our Government has been focused on preventing our children and youth from using drugs in the first place and strongly deterring existing use of harmful and addictive drugs.
Health Canada has a "Special Access Programme", which is designed to give Canadians with rare diseases or terminal illnesses access to medications that are not otherwise approved for use in Canada.
For example, a doctor who is treating a child with a rare form of cancer can apply to Health Canada for access to a potentially life-saving medicines which otherwise would not have been approved for medical treatment.
This is exactly what the Special Access Programme is designed to do.
Recently, Health Canada made the decision to approve an application under the Special Access Programme to give heroin to heroin addicts.
Not to treat an underlying medical condition, but simply to allow them to continue to have access to heroin for their addiction, even though other safe treatments for heroin addiction, such as methadone are available.
Today, I am here to announce that our Government has taken immediate action and is closing the loophole in the Special Access Programme, to protect the integrity of the program.
The new regulation takes effect immediately and stops doctors from prescribing dangerous drugs like heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and LSD and abusing the Special Access Programme.
We know the answer is not to treat heroin addiction with heroin.
Our goal is to take heroin out of the hands of addicts, not to put it into their arms.
We remain committed to our National Anti-Drug Strategy which aims to reduce and prevent the use of illicit drugs across the country. This strategy is based on three pillars of prevention, treatment, and enforcement.
To prevent our youth from taking drugs in the first place, we need to speak with youth to ensure they know the dangers of drugs and make the right choices.
Yesterday, I went to Glashan Public School in Ottawa. I met with a group of students along with Michel Perron, CEO of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Olympian Michael Tayler.
Together, we talked to the kids about the dangers of drugs. We listened to them about the pressures they are facing and what we can all do better to ensure they have the resources they need.
I am committed to listening to youth, parents, teachers, law enforcement, health professionals, people who have recovered from addiction and all community members to hear what we can do to better prevent our children and youth from using drugs and what we can do to help get people into effective treatment and recovery.
Our Government will continue to invest in drug treatment and prevention programs that work to keep our children and youth off drugs.
We want to support those in need of treatment and recovery programs.
We want to educate our children and youth on the serious dangers of drugs.
We want to help people with addiction, not give them a way to maintain their dangerous and life-threating addiction.
Drug treatment and recovery programs should be focussed on ending drug use. We do not support programs which do not have a return to a drug-free life as their ultimate goal.
Today, I am joined by members of the community who have dedicated themselves to helping people, who struggle with addiction. And I applaud all of you for the work you do.
You are about to hear from Marshall Smith, the Manager of Community Relations for the Cedars at Cobble Hill Addiction Centre on Vancouver Island.
Marshall has a compelling story about his struggle against drug addictions. It is a story both for youth to learn about the risk of drugs, and for anyone struggling with their own addictions.
Drug addiction is far reaching. Marshall's story and the recent death of Canadian Actor Cory Monteith, show us that we must focus on prevention, treatment and recovery.
We cannot give up hope on the thousands of Canadians who struggle with substance abuse.
Our Government will continue to protect Canadian families and communities against the harmful effects of dangerous drugs.
Thank you.
