MANDATORY DRUG TREATMENT IS COMPASSION WITH A SPINE

 

Charter Logic vs. Narcan Reality

If Narcan can be used without consent to save a life in crisis, why can’t we compel treatment to prevent that crisis in the first place?

The Fatal Contradiction in Canada’s Addiction Response

Canada’s addiction policy is tangled in a contradiction: courts argue that forcing someone into treatment violates their Charter rights—yet when that same person overdoses, emergency services intervene without consent, injecting Narcan and performing CPR to save their life.

We don’t ask permission in the moment of crisis—but we refuse to act beforehand to prevent it. This logic is not just inconsistent—it’s deadly.

The result? A revolving door: overdose, revival, release. No accountability. No recovery. No dignity.

If we believe a life is worth saving with Narcan, that same life is worth intervening for with structured, mandatory treatment. This isn’t punishment—it’s compassion with a spine.

Narcan should not be the finish line. It should be the beginning of real care.

If we don’t fix this contradiction, we are choosing ideology over lives. Let’s demand policies that protect people—and help them recover.

Want to Help Change the Conversation?

Share this article. Talk to your MLA. Demand answers from Island Health. Ask your city council where they stand on mandatory recovery programs. Silence is compliance.