Alberta United Conservative Leader Danielle Smith says she would bring in a bill forcing people with severe drug addiction into treatment if her government wins the May 29 election.
Smith says the legislation would balance the rights of the public with responsibility to help those in distress.
She said her government would also create more than 700 addiction treatment beds in 11 locations, including on First Nations. There would also be five new 75-bed mental-wellness centres. Smith’s UCP has also promised more police in Calgary and Edmonton to reduce violent crime, particularly on transit.
Asked about personal restrictions, Smith said in the case of addicts, they may not be able to make the best choices for themselves. Lorian Hardcastle, an assistant professor at the University of Calgary specializing in health law and policy, said the government would have to meet a very high bar if it’s going deprive someone of their liberty, particularly if the person is not charged with a crime.
“Indeed, a lot of public health experts are quite concerned about these kinds of coercive policies not being effective and instead would say that you have to meet patients where they are and offer them a wide range of treatment options, from harm reduction options to recovery-based options.”
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