Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to a topic that we often avoid discussing because it makes us uncomfortable. We do not like talking about it, but it is impossible to ignore: the distress among young people. As some members have already mentioned, 20% of young people experience mental health problems before the age of 18. It is therefore extremely important for us to address it.
These mental health problems will indirectly or perhaps too quickly result in addiction disorders that can often lead to preventable tragedies. As everyone knows, these things are happening and are present in schools, in some families and in ridings across Canada. Too often, however, our response falls short. As parents, we may not have the knowledge to deal with the situation. Even experts have limited time and resources. We are having a hard time addressing this ever-growing problem.
The problem is that we continue to look at what young people are doing without really trying to understand what they are going through. In some cases, they are suffering. Their suffering is expressed through actions and behaviours, and sometimes also through substance use. For many young people, substance use is not just a matter of curiosity. It is not just something they do because others do it, on a temporary basis, just to try it out or to have an experience. For some, it is a way of managing something that is hurting them. For some, it is a way of holding on, of continuing to move forward despite that pain.
Some young people have difficulty sleeping and are experiencing severe anxiety. They do not really understand what is going on in their heads. As we know, young people's brains are not yet fully developed. They do not necessarily have enough life experience to draw on to reassure themselves and tell themselves that things will be fine in the end. Some of them at a certain point, in their daily reflections or when they discover drugs, for example, find something that brings them peace. It is not a perfect or healthy solution, and some young people know that. However, it is enough to help them carry on. It is a solution that may be temporary, but all too often it becomes permanent. This is often how it starts. From that point on, using drugs becomes a response. It is not the right response, but it is one that is accessible, easy and consistent.
Meanwhile, support systems are difficult to access. There are waiting lists. Services vary from region to region. Parents are seeking help without really knowing where to turn. People are ill-informed, perhaps ill-equipped. Meanwhile, the substance is always there. It is readily available, without the need for an appointment. Access to it is consistent. The substance is attentive and non-judgmental. These young people end up becoming dependent on it.
We adults mean well. Professionals want to step in, but they often arrive too late, after a crime has been committed, after an arrest has been made. We often arrive once things have already spiralled out of control. How do we answer the call? We respond with a criminal justice approach, one that is not based on the young person's needs. We intervene based on the actions taken, but we do not really focus on what lies behind them. It is a band-aid solution. Yet, if there is one thing that is absolutely essential, in my view, it is prevention.
Prevention should always be a top priority. Prevention is precisely about preventing these problems whether they involve physical or mental health. If we, as a society, fail to take preventive measures, we should stop being surprised when they happen again. We must have the courage to acknowledge that the current model has its limitations. It is not because practitioners are not doing their jobs, but because, given its current structure, the system always responds too late, and often in the wrong place. That is exactly why my colleague's Bill C‑231 is so important. It introduces something we have not done enough of so far. It allows us to take a step back and ask what would happen if, instead of simply punishing people, we actually helped them.
In practical terms, what is the purpose of this bill? This bill would make it possible to delay sentencing so a young person can participate in treatment. It would make it possible to include treatment in the judge's decision, and that treatment could solve the problem. Most of all, the bill sends a very important message: A young person who does not succeed on the first try should not be put directly in custody, because the fact is that treatment can be a long and winding road.
Treatment involves relapses, setbacks and times when it is just not working, but that does not mean a young person has failed. It means they are going through a process, and the system should be able to understand that. This bill is telling us that we have to make a choice. We have to enact a law, and we have to make a choice about that law. Either we carry on with a problem-based approach, or we adopt a needs-based approach. This is a political and incredibly important choice.
An young person's brain is impressionable and can be easily molded. It is still able to create good reflexes and find good ways of dealing with problems. However, when the window closes, we often lose the young person and we lose them for a long time. Indeed, we need to pass this bill, but we also need to have the courage to go further. We need to make sure that services are available. We need to train case workers and ensure that programs are available across the country. Above all, we need to stop working in silos. That is key. Too often, today, justice works on one side, health works on another side, and social services is somewhere in there. In the middle is the young person and their loved ones, if they are lucky enough to have loved ones. All these professionals have to navigate a system that is not made for the young person. The young person also has to navigate a system that is not made for them.
However, let us be honest. Passing a bill without providing the necessary resources will not change much. If we tell a young person that they need to seek treatment but they have to wait three, six or 12 months, in reality, we are telling them that we are not ready for them right now. Timing is very important in a young person's life. Windows of opportunity may open, but they can close pretty quickly too.
I think we need to do better. What we are seeing is only part of the story. Substance use and crime are part of the story, just the tip of the iceberg. Beneath that, there are other issues. There is distress. There is trauma and there are needs that are not being met. If we do not address those issues, we will not solve the root of the problem. We need to intervene early. Intervening early is not about leniency. It is about effectiveness. Prevention means preventing problems from recurring. It means avoiding situations that could escalate and preventing lives from going off track.
Yes, the legal system can sometimes become a tipping point, but why wait until that happens? Why is the government waiting for things to fall apart before taking action?
No young person, in my opinion, chooses to suffer. I think these actions are signals. They are attempts to cope, attempts that may be clumsy and even dangerous at times, but they are attempts nonetheless. I believe our role is to provide the best possible response. There are people involved in this work on a daily basis. As parliamentarians, we do not know everything. We are not experts on every aspect of society. We therefore need to rely on key experts.
I had the opportunity turn to Geneviève Labbé, a psychoeducator. She is in charge of clinical addiction education, but more importantly, she has 20 years of experience. That means 20 years of guiding young people, 20 years of supporting families and 20 years of seeing what works and what does not work. My entire speech is based on my conversations with her. She reminded me of something extremely important: For every young person, there is a young person not doing well, who has needs and who needs support. Often, it is a young person who can still be helped.
Today, the bill is giving us an opportunity to do things differently. It may not be perfect, but it will be different. We have a choice to act consistently, more humanly and more effectively. Essentially, the question is simple: Do we act while there is still time, or do we keep waiting until it is too late? Helping a young person today does not just solve a problem, it changes a trajectory. I think that changing a trajectory is vitally important.