LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Unpacking minister’s letter

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/03/2023 (764 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I read with great interest the letter to the editor from Janice Morley-Lecomte, the minister of mental health and community wellness, in regard to prioritizing addiction and recovery services.

I am pleased there is a concession from this government that “supervised consumption sites” can play a role in our province’s addiction crisis. I am not overly pleased their licensing requirements will have a $50,000 fine attached to it for anyone who breaks their rules. That said, there is much to unpack in the minister’s letter that is deserving of the many hats I have worn over the past 12 years: mom of a recovering substance user, advocate for better recovery services, and lived experience from having boots on the ground.

1. Her comment, “[T]he demand for mental health and addictions services has risen substantially” because of COVID-19, isn’t exactly true. Addiction to a licit or illicit substance was already prevalent before COVID-19, but the lack of services to meet the need for recovery was grossly neglected. COVID-19 shone a spotlight on this oversight.

2. Her comment, “We believe recovery is possible for everyone who chooses it.” This is a feel-good thing to say, but to really mean it you must have resources available for when someone does choose recovery. Telling someone to come back at a later date because there are no resources or services available for them is cruel and unusual treatment.

3. Her comment, “[A]dvocates of harm reduction profess mistakenly that supervised consumption sites are the ‘silver bullet.’” This statement might reveal that the minister has not done her research to the depths that advocates have been doing for years. The sites aren’t a “silver bullet.” They are meant to keep someone alive until they can choose the recovery path that hopefully has services available for them when they do ask to receive them.

4. Her comment, “[I]nvesting heavily in treatment and recovery facilities in 2001 before opening its first supervised consumption site more than a decade later.” Advocates in Manitoba have been asking for consumption sites for well over a decade. Had any government in power at any point genuinely listened to the advocates, we might be in a very different place with our addiction crisis today.

5. Her comment, “[I]ncluding next steps in our pledge to add 1,000 treatment spaces available free of charge for people to receive addictions care.” One question: will these beds be for recovery treatment longer than 21 to 27 days to avoid the enabling and revolving door syndrome in place by the already free addictions care provided by this government?

6. Her comment, “As a government, we will treat people with compassion and respect and give them a fighting chance at recovery instead of just enabling them to continue using.” As noted in my fifth point, will this government extend the length of time they believe it takes someone to recover from years of IV meth use? The programs currently offered by this government actually enable people to fail because, as we all know, it is impossible to recover from substance use in 21 to 27 days.

7. Her comment, “As a government, we will treat people with compassion and respect and give them a fighting chance at recovery instead of just enabling them to continue using.” As mentioned in my fifth and sixth point, I do believe the minister has agreed their approach to recovery does enable failure, and I am hopeful this will be addressed going forward.

And finally, may I respectfully suggest the minister take a closer look around herself for an understanding of Manitoba’s addiction crisis. She has many advocates with more years of front line service than any politician could ever accumulate. Citing Portugal or any other locale is insulting to those who have dedicated their lives to understanding Manitoba’s addiction crisis. A good place to start would be the Manitoba Harm Reduction Network that is located in the minister’s own community.

KIM LONGSTREET

Brandon