The government of Canada and the government of Quebec announce $2.5 million in funding to fight addiction and prevent overdoses in the Eastern Townships

Canada-Quebec Agreement on Addictions and Substance Use

SHERBROOKE, QC, Nov. 14, 2024 /CNW/ - Toxic illegal drugs and overdoses are causing increasing harm across Canada, including here in the Eastern Townships. Concerned about this major issue, Élisabeth Brière, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of National Revenue, and Geneviève Hébert, Member for Saint-François, on behalf of the Minister Responsible for Social Services, Mr. Lionel Carmant, visited CAP Estrie today to announce significant support for the organization and four other projects in the region. The total amounts to over $2.5 million, through the New Canada-Quebec Contribution Agreement, for local organizations to address substance use and addictions. The selected projects focus on preventing and reducing harms among people who use drugs as well as fighting against substance use among youth. The funding granted to CAP Estrie ($724,422) will enable the organization to develop a project for improved access to its treatment and housing services for people with substance use disorders. The other projects selected are those presented by Cellule Jeunes et Familles de Brome-Missisquoi ($560,142), the Centre Jean-Patrice Chiasson-Centre réadaptation en dépendance de l'Estrie ($484,225), the Centre Providence Granby - Mental Health and Addiction Programs Division ($484,225), and Partage Notre-Dame ($307,181). 

The Canada-Quebec Agreement provides Quebec with more than $86.8 million to support efforts to address addiction, the prevention of overdoses and reduce substance-use risks. Federal funding for this agreement comes from Health Canada's Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP), which aims to support community-led and not-for-profit organizations in responding to drug and substance use issues.

More than 96 projects, selected by Quebec, will benefit from the funds being invested. Some of these projects will make additional services available to prevent overdoses and reduce risks associated with substance use, based on the realities and priorities of each of Quebec's regions. Others will involve setting up research projects to develop new knowledge about substance use and addiction. This funding will therefore support various institutional and community partners working to improve the health of people at risk of overdose or at risk from substance use. 

The governments of Canada and Quebec will continue to support community partners and organizations working to save lives and reduce the risks associated with substance use.

Quotes

"We recognize the tragic toll substance use is taking on families, friends and communities across Canada. Our comprehensive and compassionate approach is about reducing harms and saving lives. We are supporting community organizations that have deep roots in their communities, have the trust of their clients and have the first-hand knowledge needed to make a real difference in people's lives. We are using every tool at our disposal to end this crisis and build a safer, healthier and more caring future for all Canadians."

The Honourable Ya'ara Saks
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health

"The funding announced today will contribute to the development of clinical expertise in the Eastern Townships in the fight against the harmful effects of opioids, and will enable us to take concrete action on the phenomenon of addiction in the region. These services will be able to meet the needs of those affected and better ensure their safety. I would like to thank our federal partners for their support, as well as the network and community teams in the field."

Lionel Carmant
Minister Responsible for Social Services for the Government of Quebec

"Our government and that of Quebec are supporting organizations that are working tirelessly to provide essential support to people with addiction problems and to prevent overdoses.. Through their concrete actions, these organizations help save lives. Their work is necessary, and the financial support we are granting them today will enable them to improve their services."

Élisabeth Brière
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health 

"Faced with this opioid crisis, which first hit major cities and is now increasingly affecting regions, it is important that the governments of Canada and Quebec invest together to provide the necessary resources to organizations working in the field."

The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau
Minister of National Revenue

"I'm very proud of this funding for a project in our region that will enable us to take very concrete preventive action for people struggling with substance abuse. The services offered will enable us to provide better, more humane support for people who use these substances. This shows that we are collectively doing our utmost to help these people and prevent overdoses, a scourge that spares the Eastern Townships no more than other regions of Quebec."

Geneviève Hébert
Member for Saint-François

Quick facts

• Since 2018, the governments of Canada and Quebec have signed agreements recognizing that Quebec is responsible for administering federal funding of SUAP throughout its territory according to its own priorities and directions. 
• Between 2018 and 2023, SUAP funding granted to Quebec has enabled significant advances in the development of scientific knowledge, standardized tools and successful clinical programs, including:
  • Prevention messages tailored to Quebec pregnant women's perceptions of cannabis, alcohol and tobacco use during the perinatal period (Institut national de santé publique du Québec);
  • Low-threshold employment as an intervention lever to reduce the harms associated with substance use and promote the overall health of young people in socially precarious situations: understanding and acting (Institut universitaire sur les dépendances);
  • Development and validation of a specialized integrated addiction assessment (Institut universitaire sur les dépendances).
• Through new investments announced in Budget 2023, the Government of Canada is investing $144 million in the SUAP to fund community support services and other evidence-based public health interventions.
• Since 2017, nearly $700 million has been invested in more than 430 projects under Health Canada's SUAP.

Associated links

• Federal actions on the overdose crisis 
• Opioid- and Stimulant-related Harms in Canada
• Health Canada's Substance Use and Addictions Program
• Plan d'action interministériel en dépendance 2018-2028 – Prévenir, réduire et traiter les conséquences associées à la consommation de substances psychoactives, à la pratique de jeux de hasard et d'argent et à l'utilisation d'Internet - Publications du ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (gouv.qc.ca) [in French only]
• Stratégie nationale 2022-2025 de prévention des surdoses de substances psychoactives - Publications du ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (gouv.qc.ca) [in French only]
• Volet québécois du Programme sur l'usage et les dépendances aux substances (PUDS) [in French only]

SOURCE Health Canada (HC)

Contacts: Callum Haney, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Ya'ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, 343-576-4407; Lambert Drainville, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister Responsible for Social Services of Quebec, 418-264-4146; Media Relations, Health Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]