- Disseminate accurate, detailed information on overdose data and statistics. “There [is] a problem in accessing data, [and] stigma is one of those obstacles in obtaining this data. The events that are experienced on the ground are in the fog. I see this as an obstacle to making good decisions.”
- Creating an overdose prevention and drug regulation committee with diverse territorial and organizational representation. This committee would be at the municipal level and centre the participation of those with lived experience to ensure solutions are bottom-up and accurately reflect the lived realities of people who use drugs.
- Ensure a safe space for people with lived experiences to participate in initiatives.
- Implement safe supply and safe consumption sites.
- Police should stop enforcement around drugs (personal possession) and refuse funds earmarked for anti-drug initiatives. Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales (DPCP) should refuse to prosecute drug-related offences connected to personal possession.
- Affirm that people who consume drugs and have the right to live and have access to services.
- Improve access to naloxone.
- Improve access to housing as a key component of harm reduction.
- Allow people to occupy public space rather than pushing people out.
- Increase investment in and accessibility of harm reduction services.
- Improve working conditions of people employed in harm reduction services.
- Create bilingual multimedia materials such as anti-stigma campaigns, documentaries, and podcasts.
READ MORE: An appetite for action: Summary of Montreal public health dialogue
