Canadian Public Health Association applauds federal government’s support of harm reduction

OTTAWA, ON – 13 December 2016 – The Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) applauds the Government of Canada for introducing Bill C-37, “An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related amendments to other Acts”.

“Bill C-37 sends a clear message that the Government of Canada is committed to a public health approach to controlled drugs and substances and is putting the evidence – and peoples’ lives – first,” said Ian Culbert, CPHA’s Executive Director. “The re-integration of harm reduction into the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy is a significant step in addressing this concern.”

In addition to updating Canada’s drug strategy and moving responsibility for it back to the Minister of Health, Bill C-37 will modernize the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), improve the Government’s ability to control the importation of fentanyl and devices that can be used to manufacture illicit drugs, and will help mitigate the ongoing opioid crisis.

“We congratulate the Minister of Health for taking concrete, practical steps,” said Culbert, “and we call on politicians of all political stripes to set aside their partisan differences to ensure the speedy passage of this life-saving legislation.”

On November 30, 2016, CPHA’s Board of Directors approved a Position Statement calling on all levels of governments to take a public health approach to addressing Canada’s opioid crisis.