'Recovery is possible': Alberta government doubles number of addiction treatment beds
In 2019, the UCP government said it would establish 4,000 treatment spaces for Albertans suffering from addictions.
Now, two years later, Premier Jason Kenney says the government is doing even more.
He made the announcement at the Fresh Start Recovery Centre in Calgary, alongside Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Mike Ellis.
"We care," Kenney said. "And recovery from addiction is possible."
All of the addiction treatment available through the province is free for Albertans to access.
Support provided at residential recovery facilities includes improving physical and mental health, fostering connections between family and community, building employment skills, ensuring housing stability and more.
New software, called My Recovery Plan, is also being provided to operators of treatment centres. Officials say this tool will help "fix the broken system."
"We have heard for years that the addiction care system is broken. When we came into office, Albertans were having to decide between selling their car and remortgaging their home to access life-saving treatment and recovery services. This was completely unacceptable," said Mike Ellis, Alberta's associate minister of mental health and addictions in a statement.
CALLS FOR HARM REDUCTION
But past policy was still somewhat of a focus at Saturday's announcement.
Many health experts and drug advocates call the UCP approach to a deadly stretch of overdoses "one-sided."
Many would like to see more of an emphasis put on harm reduction.
Advocate Euan Thomson wants supervised consumption sites and safe opioid treatment programs to still be encouraged to those struggling with addiction.
"If the wine and beer supply was poisoned right now and people were dying from drinking wine and beer, we could probably address the supply," he said to CTV News, "rather than try and build a bunch of recovery beds for daily beer drinkers to get off their habit.
"We need to address the poison drug supply."
The premier says he agrees harm reduction steps are still needed for some, but Albertans should instead be focused on solutions.
"The staff (at supervised consumption sites) shouldn't just be there to help them shoot up," he said. "The staff should be there to help them provide a way out of the addiction."
"Unfortunately, for a lot of people," Thomson said, "that just isn't realistic or even desirable."
Thomson and many other harm reduction advocates also worry eventual relapses won't be addressed properly in a province completely focused on recovery.
"We should look at it in terms of keeping people alive, first and foremost," he said.
Kenney believes it's time for a new strategy.
"One definition of insanity is to keep repeating the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome," the Premier said. "We don't think facilitating deadly addictions is the safe or responsible approach."
APP DATA
The province also pushed on Saturday for more Albertans to download its Digital Overdose Response System -- or DORS.
It's a free app that can connect those who use illicit drugs at home with emergency services if they're needed.
230 users have registered on DORS since it's August launch.
The province wouldn't say how many times it's successfully connected a resident with an emergency response.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
These snakes not only fake their own deaths, they use gory special effects to do it
Awards season may be over for human actors this year, but there’s no rest for some of nature’s most audacious thespians.