Thank you so much, Chair.
My question is for Sarah Kennell.
Going back to my last question, Manitoba is talking about the peer support, and that was an issue. In Manitoba, we've had more people die of overdose in the past year than I've ever seen. I think it's over 500, which is a lot for a city the size of Winnipeg.
Would decriminalization assist? I say this because my thinking is that people, if they feel they're going to get in trouble for getting help, for being open about issues.... Would decriminalization assist individuals to get help? I say that in regard to women, because in the B.C. study, the BC Coroners Service says that more females are dying from illicit drug use. It says that while men have historically accounted for nearly 80% of fatalities, more than 26% of those who died in April were female, continuing a trend that began earlier this year.
We know that the rate of deaths among women and young women is going up. Would decriminalization help?