Quebec Government Reveals How It Plans To Deal With Opioid Addiction And Overdoses

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The Quebec Government plans to strengthen its battle with opioid addiction and overdoses with a $35 million annual investment over the next decade.

Two new initiatives to fight addiction and overdoses 

The province revealed the development of two brand new initiatives: a three-year plan to deal with opioid overdose and a 10-year strategy that will focus on drugs, online gambling, and internet addiction as well.

“Money will also be spent on public awareness program[s] to addiction to even medically-prescribed opioids, for instance,” said Health Minister Gaétan Barrette.

“There will be money set aside for research and a number of other things,” he continued.

The province also revealed that it’s working on a few measures such as offering professional workers access to prevention and harm-reducing tools as well.

The government is also taking into consideration the opening of safe injection sites in more locations besides the ones in Montreal.

Making naloxone more accessible 

Regarding the fight against opioid overdoses, the province said that it would also make the naloxone drug more accessible. This is an opioid antidote that can save lives.

Barrette stated that while Quebec is not currently facing a massive fentanyl crisis like it’s happening in other provinces, it’s still really important to invest in preventative measures in order to be able to control this overall situation.

Barette stated that a crisis is not something that is easily controlled but instead is something that continues to expand, he went on and explained that “we do not see that level of evolution if that allows us, in my view, to call this a crisis. That doesn’t mean that this is not important, it means that we are not at the same level that other provinces are.”

Meanwhile, education on what drugs and addiction mean and what they can trigger remains as crucial as ever.

Rada Mateescu

I have been blogging and posting articles for over eight years, but my passion for writing dates back in 2000. I am especially enthusiastic about technology, science, and health-related issues. When I’m not researching and writing the latest news, I’m either watching sci-fi and horror movies or checking out places worth visiting and building deep memories for later in life. I believe in empathy and continually improving myself.