Ottawa Considers New Round of Safer Supply Funding as RCMP Raises Alarm

Ottawa is considering a new round of funding for safer supply programs starting in June. Meanwhile, RCMP announced on April 8 the latest in a string of drug busts that found safer supply opioids in bulk. Drug dealers are obtaining large amounts of government-funded safer supply opioids, says the RCMP in Prince George, B.C. A spokesperson said the drugs are obviously being sold somewhere, but she couldn’t reveal whether an ongoing investigation has found them ending up in the hands of teenagers. Some addictions workers and teenagers in British Columbia have said safer supply opioids are now common recreational drugs for youth, and some are getting hooked. It’s a concern at the heart of a national debate on safer supply. To what extent are the drugs helping addicts avoid overdose on more potent street drugs? To what extent are they fuelling addiction?...