Smith highlighted key priorities of her authorities’s dependancy technique because the opening speaker on the annual Alberta Restoration Capital Convention
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Alberta’s UCP authorities plans to extend funding to its Ministry of Psychological Well being and Addictions to $275 million in subsequent week’s Price range 2023, Premier Danielle Smith mentioned Tuesday.
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If handed, the price range would symbolize “record-breaking investments for a complete psychological well being and dependancy care system,” Smith mentioned. This price range is anticipated to be tabled within the legislature on February 28.
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“The historic investments that might be proposed in Price range 2023 are wanted to proceed to reply to the dependancy disaster, assist the psychological well being and well-being of Albertans and construct sturdy methods of care throughout the province,” mentioned Smith, and added the proposed funding. the envelope is greater than the $87 million earmarked for psychological well being and addictions in 2019.
“Clearly now could be the time to proceed shifting ahead and proceed to put money into our system of take care of Albertans.”
Smith made the announcement throughout her remarks because the opening speaker on the annual Alberta Restoration Capital convention, which is being held in Calgary this week. The convention showcases the “Alberta mannequin” for addressing addictions — one which favors restoration and abstinence over hurt discount strategies reminiscent of secure drug provide and supervised consumption websites.
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‘Alberta mannequin’ specializing in dependancy restoration
Smith addressed the group and highlighted the important thing priorities of her authorities’s dependancy technique, together with rising partnerships with Indigenous communities, offering extra entry to remedy and restoration assist, offering coaching for first responders and funding youth psychological well being packages. She additionally mentioned the federal government would improve hurt discount packages, however didn’t present particulars.
She additionally boasted about restoration communities: long-term residential drug remedy facilities. Six such websites are presently being developed, and Smith mentioned $75 million in capital funding within the price range would create three extra on high of that.
“I’m proud to say that these tasks will start to take impact this 12 months with the completion of the Purple Deer Restoration Neighborhood, the Lethbridge Restoration Neighborhood and the Gunn Restoration Neighborhood,” mentioned Smith.
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Inside Calgary, the UCP’s current dependancy technique has largely centered round funding dependancy remedy beds, together with an announcement final week giving the Drop-In Heart $4 million to open 15 new medical detox beds and 20 pre-treatment beds.
Protesters slam Alberta’s opioid technique
A gaggle of some dozen individuals stood in entrance of the Hyatt Regency on Tuesday afternoon, protesting the convention and demanding oversight of Alberta’s dependancy remedy system.
Many protesters carried naloxone kits and indicators slamming the Smith authorities’s “Alberta mannequin.”
“You may’t get better if you’re lifeless,” mentioned Morrigan Johnson, standing in entrance of blue damaged hearts painted on the bottom representing a handful of the greater than 7,000 overdose deaths in Alberta since 2016 symbolize.
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One other protester, Susan Scott, mentioned the best way individuals who use medication are handled is “completely evil”.
“We have to develop into extra humane, which is able to embrace secure injection websites, but additionally pharmaceuticals as an alternative of avenue medication,” she mentioned. “You (should) work with them and meet them the place they’re and the place they wish to go, which is extra motivating than saying ‘You may’t’.”
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Province companions with Drop-In Heart to broaden dependancy remedy house, including 35 new beds
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Province commits $1.8 million to pre-treatment dependancy assist packages in Calgary
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Alberta Psychological Well being and Addictions Ministry to double down on recovery-focused mandate
A information launch written earlier than the rally by Euan Thomson – a hurt discount advocate and the chief director at Each + Each – together with individuals with lived expertise additionally criticized the federal government’s current transfer to policing with sheriffs within the core areas of to strengthen Edmonton and Calgary, cost that the pilot’s function is to “(drive) homeless individuals into dependancy remedy.
Greater than 1,300 Albertans died of drug poisoning in 2022, in line with provincial authorities information.
The province’s drug use surveillance system reveals there have been 1,346 obvious unintentional deaths from acute drug poisoning in 2022 by November.
That is down from 1,446 throughout the identical interval in 2021, because the UCP authorities says it stays “cautiously optimistic” opioid deaths are on the downward development after rising through the COVID-19 pandemic.
– With recordsdata from Michael Rodriguez
jherring@postmedia.com
Twitter: @jasonfherring
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