Winnipeg鈥檚 mayor and local addictions advocates are demanding immediate action after a long-awaited report showed the urgency of the city鈥檚 methamphetamine crisis.
The Illicit Drug Task Force set up in December by the federal, provincial and municipal governments that charges for possession of meth were up 890 per cent from 2013 to 2017 while meth-related emergency department visits rose 1,700 per cent.
The task force issued 22 recommendations including 24-hour safe spaces for addicts, more treatment housing, and disrupting the drug supply. It stopped short of recommending safe-consumption sites, where people could legally take meth under medical supervision.
Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman told reporters on Friday that his first impression of the report was that there were 鈥渘ot enough specific, short-term actions outlined to implement immediately.鈥� He reiterated his support for supervised consumption sites.
Marion Willis, who runs a 12-bed transitional residence for people facing addictions called Morberg House, said that she doesn鈥檛 believe safe-consumption sites are the answer, but she agrees that immediate action is needed, including funding for more housing.
Willis said she鈥檚 worried the provincial election set for Sept. 10 could put the issue on the backburner.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 really see anything happening now until 2020 and that鈥檚 the disturbing piece of this for me,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e need action right now.鈥�
Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister said he 鈥渆xpects more investments鈥� but didn鈥檛 offer any specifics.
Robert Lidstone, a resident of Morberg House, said the province needs to make sure that addicts don鈥檛 face long waitlists for detoxification or housing.
Lidstone was part-way through his PhD when he experienced mental health crisis and began using meth 鈥渁s a way to cope with my struggles,鈥� he said.
鈥淭hat gradually got worse and worse to the point where I was wandering homeless in the middle of winter in Winnipeg.鈥�
Lidstone said he believes it鈥檚 cheaper in the long run for the province to provide addicts with detox and housing than to jail them or pay their hospital bills.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e not somewhere like this, what are your other options?鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 either jail or life on the street.鈥�
