Evidence of meeting #25 for Health in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was vote.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Helena Konanz Conservative Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
Minister, when proposed drug consumption injection sites come to your desk for exemption requests, do you require an age limit for entry to grant an exemption for these sites? Is there an age limit for people to get into these sites, yes or no?
Liberal
Conservative
Conservative
Helena Konanz Conservative Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
When they come to your desk, there's no check mark for the age of people who can go into these sites. You agree with whatever the provinces decide according to age. You have the power to shut down these sites if you don't believe in the services.
There is no age limit. Is that what you're saying?
You don't know.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch, Department of Health
I can go ahead and answer the question.
Each community varies on the segment of the population that they are supporting—
Conservative
Helena Konanz Conservative Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
That's good to know. Thank you, Ms. Weber.
Each community varies.
There are some sites we know, including the one you went to visit recently on Hastings Street in Vancouver with your RCMP escort, because—
Conservative
Helena Konanz Conservative Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
They were there to keep you safe.
Conservative
Helena Konanz Conservative Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
They weren't. Were they there to give you information about the sites or...?
Liberal
Marjorie Michel Liberal Papineau, QC
Do you want me to answer?
First of all, I'm working very closely with the Minister of Public Safety and other colleagues, because I think the work on the drug crisis should be integrated. We should work together.
Conservative
Conservative
Liberal
Marjorie Michel Liberal Papineau, QC
—fentanyl czar and with the Vancouver police, who are really engaged and working with the organization.
I was with them since the morning—
Conservative
Helena Konanz Conservative Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
You were with the police. Okay.
Conservative
Helena Konanz Conservative Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
At these sites, you have to be 16 years old. I was wondering, do they have to have proof or ID to show that they're 16? There are some kids who are 13 but look 16, and there are some kids who are 16 but look 13. Do you have to show ID? I would think that it would be very bad for a 13-year-old to be using fentanyl.
Liberal
Marjorie Michel Liberal Papineau, QC
Is that because you think that it would be very bad for a thirteen-year-old to be taking fentanyl? On that, I agree completely.
Conservative
Liberal
Marjorie Michel Liberal Papineau, QC
Now, do you think that a young person wanting to take fentanyl would have to be in a supervised injection centre?
Conservative
Helena Konanz Conservative Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
We have only 30 seconds, so I'm going to ask you this question.
If a 16-year-old comes in and has never had drugs before but wants to try drugs...do you have to be a drug addict to have service from this consumption site? Could a kid come in and say they've been interested in trying this? Do you have to be a drug addict to use these services?
Liberal
Marjorie Michel Liberal Papineau, QC
All I can tell you is that we do not operate those centres. They are under the responsibility of the provinces. That's the reality.
