Thank you, Mr. Chair.
It's an honour to be joining you on the unceded lands of the Tseshaht and Hupacasath nations.
I'm sorry I can't be joining you in person. I was home for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and I couldn't get back to Ottawa in time.
Dr. Patel, in December 2023, you signed a letter, along with more than 130 experts in substance use, calling on the federal government to continue to support and scale up safer supply programs. The beginning of the letter reads:
As researchers and clinicians across Canada, we are writing out of concern regarding the increased politicization surrounding the response to the drug toxicity overdose crisis that is taking the lives of 21 Canadians every day. We are particularly concerned about the spread of misinformation and the denial of the evidence-base on harm reduction interventions, such as prescribed safer supply programs.
Can you please share with this committee your knowledge regarding the outcomes of prescribed safer supply programs?