With illicit drug use, homelessness and untreated mental illness reaching a crisis in parts of Canada, the governments of at least three provinces want to treat more people against their will, even as some health experts warn involuntary care for drug use can be ineffective and harmful.
This month, British Columbia’s premier, whose party is in a tight race for reelection in the province, said his government would expand involuntary treatment for people dealing with mental illness combined with addiction and brain injuries due to overdose. Some would be held in a repurposed jail.
The Alberta government is preparing legislation that would allow a family member, police officer or medical professional to petition to force treatment when a person is deemed an imminent danger to themselves or others because of addiction or drug use.
And New Brunswick has said it wants to allow involuntary treatment of people with substance use disorders, although it, too, has yet to propose legislation. A spokesperson for the governing Progressive Conservative party, which is also running for reelection, called this “compassionate intervention.”
A few years ago I would’ve been pretty disgusted with this, but now with frequent contact with entrenched homeless I think it’s needed.
There are those few that just seem to be stuck in addiction and anti-social behavior and permanent incarceration or exile are about the only other options. You’d need some robust safeguards though so that it’s only used as that last resort after exhausting other options.
Or Canada could fix its social issues to slow down the flow of destitute people.
This doesn’t help the people already stuck. On these drugs, homeless, and dealing with the mental health issues that come with that is a huge burden, even if we fixed the issuess that push people into these addictions, they may not be able to get out of these situations on their own. Things like getting housed or employed become increasingly difficult when homeless and addicted. Ideally these involuntary treatments include housing treated people and assisting them in getting their own housing and employment.
Neither will arresting them! We know that forced treatment does not have good outcomes for addiction! This is not science based policy, this is sheer populism, and it is going to further harm vulnerable people.
The idea that coercive power of the state can fix or even help is beyond naive.
Boomer brainrot
“Ideally these involuntary treatments include housing treated people and assisting them in getting their own housing and employment.”
…yeah but they won’t, will they?
Surely you mean “and”? I may not have been clear in my previous comment but my point is there is a very small minority that can’t be helped in the other ways. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t also do all the other things since it’s just a very small group that can’t be helped that way and that’d be silly.
The state will do anything but fix the root cause IMHO.
Hence why I don’t never shill remedial programs. The regime caused these problems and now using taxpayer money to be the “good” guy.
This scheme here specifically is fucking abominations. Literally recipe for abuse. Nobody will be helped but many people will absued by the system. This is regime 101.