FIRST READING: Feds signal departure from ‘harm reduction’ approach to overdose crisis (opens original article in a new tab)

Canadian federal officials are shifting from harm reduction to treatment-focused strategies for the overdose crisis, with increased emphasis on treatment centres and opioid agonist therapies in Indigenous communities.

• Canadian federal officials indicate a shift away from harm reduction strategies towards treatment-focused approaches for the overdose crisis.
• Indigenous communities in Canada have declared 67 states of emergency due to the drug crisis, with a focus on treatment and prevention over harm reduction.
• The federal government is expanding opioid agonist treatment sites and new drug treatment centres in First Nations communities.