Mr. Chair, we have learned that in Portugal, the number of deaths from overdoses is 30 times fewer than in Canada. This tells me that we need to model our approach to tackling this issue after a country that is having success. We need to radically change what we are doing.
We are failing. There has to be some accountability for negligence here. Our overdose rate per million is 30-fold that of Portugal. I do not understand the government's resistance to adopting a decriminalized approach. It would take away the stigma and make this a health issue, which is what it should be. This is what medical health officers are saying it needs to be.
We need this approach immediately. People cannot wait, as we are losing lives every day. The 30-fold difference says it all.
What are we waiting for? Why are we not paying attention?