Manitoba should declare public health emergency to combat meth, Liberals say

The Manitoba Liberals are callingonthe government to declare a public health emergency to save a province mired in a meth crisis.

Leader Dougald Lamont also wants the government toimmediately create a meth task force and follow through on the unit'srecommendations, hesaidon Tuesday.

"We've been talking about the meth crisis for a year and there's been a steady increase in deaths, in overdoses," he said. "It's driving crime, not just in Winnipeg but across Manitoba."

The drug has been tied to a spike in the number of violent and property crimes in Winnipeg, and is even linked to one-third of all of the city's homicides in 2017.

Winnipeg police chief Danny Smyth previously said the drug'sstranglehold on the city has kepthim up at night.

To fight theepidemic, Lamont wants a provincially appointed director to run the task force and assemble a team. The unitwould enlist other government departments for assistance, he said.

He said action is needed nowbecause thegovernment is not doing enough.

"The province doesn't seem to be prepared."

Health Minister CameronFriesensaid no good ideas including a provincially run task forceare off the table.

Help needed: province

"It's a very real challenge, but we cannot do it overnight and we will not do it by ourselves,"Friesensaid, suggesting a multi-government strategy is a course of action. "Corroboration and collaboration will be so very important."

Friesen said the government has added beds at the Health Sciences Centre and opened three walk-in clinics, specifically for people struggling with addiction.

It's a step in the right direction, he said.

"We are fully focused on trying to find solutions, both to address the real immediate challenges of the rise of meth in our communities, but also the longer-standing challenges," Friesensaid.

Lamont said the province'splanning should consist of establishing adrug stabilization unit, a facility which would keeppeoplesafe whiletheygo through withdrawal.

The unit canaccomplish what the province'srapid access clinics cannot, he said.

You have "10hours a week when really what you need is access 24/7," Lamont said.

He added the province hasto prevent thedrug scourge from claiming additional victims.

On a recent triptoSt. Theresa Point, he noticed children had drawn posters to discouragemeth use in the northern Manitoba community.

That's more initiativethan the province can claim, he said.

Attention on pot misplaced

"I see TV ads, I see billboards about pot, but I didn't see anything at all about meth."

NDP health critic Andrew Swan is arguing in favour of a safe injection site to combat meth, butagainst the province's refusal to open one in Winnipeg.

"In the midst of a meth crisis that is claiming lives and driving up crime, the Premier refuses to do more than open a clinic for three hours a day, two days a week," said a prepared statement.

The meth problem is a widespread concern among citizens, according to a new Probe Research poll released on Monday.

The survey found nearly eight in 10 Winnipeggersacross varioussociodemographiclinesare feeling less safe because of the havoc that meth has wreaked onthe city.