If we really want to have an adequate public health response to the data circulating all over the place, we have to agree on the problem. I have a very good understanding of the history of overprescription in Canada and North America. Ms. Hyshka has just illustrated it very clearly.
Today, the majority of deaths are caused by non-prescribed substances produced by the illicit market. Given this situation, we have to ask ourselves what we can do. But I want to warn people about something. As a doctor, I fully agree with what my colleagues have just said. We really need to increase the interventions that work, such as treatments. However, we can't carry the crisis of contaminated drugs from the illicit market on our shoulders. A large number of people will never have access to treatment, either because they don't need it, or because they don't suffer from opioid dependence, or because they don't want it or haven't reached that point in their lives, or because they use recreationally, or because there are very few doctors in Canada.
As we said, access to a primary care physician is complicated for everyone. Access to a primary care physician who is trained in opioids and opioid prescription is even more complicated. Of course, we need to provide more good interventions like these, but we seem to be forgetting what's under the iceberg.
We need to question ourselves and try to find out what's going on. Why are so many people suffering from addiction? As Ms. Hyshka was saying, what are we going to do about poverty? What are we going to do about problems related to childhood trauma, mental health issues and access to housing?
Next, how are we going to deal with the illicit market? How are we going to thwart and fight the illicit market? How are we going to build on the science and experience we've gained with alcohol, tobacco and, more recently, cannabis, to go further and make the fight against the illicit market a priority? How are we going to do this in the current context for these substances?