Madam Speaker, this is not an easy subject, but it is important to talk about it. I told my colleague earlier how resilient and courageous he is. He is taking action and wants to make things better. For those who did not hear his speech, I will try to explain what Bill C-231 is all about.
The bill seeks to amend the Youth Criminal Justice Act to clarify the measures governing addiction treatment programs for young persons. This would allow courts to delay sentencing to enable the young person to participate in an addiction treatment program. The bill also provides that failing or refusing to comply with treatment conditions cannot by itself result in detention. My colleague can rest assured that the Bloc Québécois will vote in favour of a bill that will help save lives. I am thinking of David and David's friends, and I am thinking of Caro and my colleague, because Christmas is right around the corner, and that is always a major milestone. I am glad that we already talking about it in 2025, so we can take action as quickly as possible.
My colleague is right to say that the “war on drugs” approach does not work. I can speak to this because, when I first started out in my career way back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I was involved in psychosocial intervention in the areas of drug addiction and suicide prevention. At that time, things were very different than they are today, as frontline workers would go directly to the scene whenever an incident was reported. Today, tighter security is required because there are increased concerns and complications when a mental health issue, including drug and psychotropic use, goes undiagnosed. It became clear to me when I was 20 that people should not be punished; rather, they should be supported and listened to so that they can receive the necessary care.
I would also like to say that for a number of years, I have almost always had a naloxone kit with me. As elected representatives, we are often in contact with crowds at events, and we never know when a situation may arise. I would encourage all my colleagues to get a kit, as naloxone is an extremely valuable antidote than can save a life in the event of an overdose.
This gives me an opportunity to share that in the years that followed, I made sure that the community organizations where I lived had as many tools as possible to help teens and young adults. I commend the work done in Quebec by the organization Mesures alternatives, which has locations throughout the province. The one I am most familiar with is Mesures alternatives des Vallées du Nord. I wish to recognize Marc‑André Roy in particular. I do not know how long he has worked there, but I do know that his focus is prevention, and I am sure the statistics reflect some solid results. Although my colleague did not wish to present any statistics, I think it would be a good idea to compile the current data so that once the bill is passed, the impact on prevention efforts can be measured. We can say already that Quebec has an advantage in the form of its 2018-20 national strategy for psychoactive substance overdose prevention, which aligns perfectly with the steps proposed by my colleague in his action plan.
First and foremost, we must educate people and raise their awareness. That is what we are doing today. That is important. Second, we need to prevent overdoses and re-educate people about harmful effects. That means we need to address the underlying causes of drug use. My colleague put it very clearly: People use drugs recreationally, but there are also those who use drugs as a crutch because they are suffering. Obviously, that is what we are dealing with today. We need to produce legislation, along with public policies and regulations. We need to have monitoring and surveillance. This bill will allow us to collect information and to have the tools needed to ensure that our young people receive the support they need. Obviously, we also need research, training and addiction treatment. I spoke about naloxone a few minutes ago, but naloxone is an emergency antidote for use in exceptional circumstances. There are many other treatments that I will not speak to this morning.
Obviously, there is treatment of pain. Sometimes, people use cannabis to relieve physical pain, while others use it for mental pain. We need to speak about that too, and I have seen that more and more people are willing to do so. Men and women of all ages are increasingly opening up about their pain. Suffering is not something that can be measured; it is something each of us experiences differently.
I would therefore like to commend my colleague for his very moving speech. If he needs a hand at any time to fine-tune this life-saving bill, we are here for him. It is very sad that David will not be here this Christmas, but the action we are taking here will have an impact, and it will not just be a drop in the ocean. On the contrary, it is a small step that will turn into a big step, and it will help all young people, particularly those experiencing major challenges.
With the two minutes I have left, I am going to share some statistics. As my colleague said, the opioid crisis caused 20 deaths a day in Canada in 2024. That adds up to 53,821 opioid-related deaths, according to data from March 2025. Men are more likely than women to die from an opioid overdose. In 2024, Quebec ranked fourth in terms of opioid-related deaths, with 645 deaths. Even one death is too many. I explained the approach being used in Quebec. Considering the reduction it achieved in deaths from opioid overdoses, I hope that all the other provinces and territories will consider using it too.
I thank my colleagues, and I want to take this opportunity to wish them all a happy holiday. I also want to wish my colleague a lot of courage and compassion.