Thank you, all, for being here today.
Dr. MacKenzie, you mentioned that Canada is the number one country using opioids in the world. You also mentioned that there's been a 75% increase in deaths due to opioid overdose usage, one death every 14 hours. That's shocking.
Ms. Brown, you mentioned that this is the first step, Bill C-224, but that this is one of a multitude of strategies that can be implemented.
Dr. Buxton, you mentioned that there are 750 deaths in a year due to fentanyl and that we need to act now.
Mr. Poirier, you mentioned that this should be a federal initiative for a provincial mandate, that we need a national strategy, and that this is an epidemic.
I would ask Dr. MacKenzie first, is this a public health crisis?