View From the Legislature

Recently our government announced a bilateral agreement with the federal government that will mean more than eight million dollars being made available for treatment and recovery from meth addiction. These funds, which will come from the federal Emergency Treatment Fund, will support health authority work across Manitoba to assist with withdrawal management addiction treatment and recovery beds.

This funding will support the creation of flexible length withdrawal and recovery beds to specifically help those suffering from meth addiction, which was recommended in the Virgo report. That report outlined a mental health and addictions strategy for Manitoba. The minimum number of people expected to benefit from these additional withdrawal management services annually is 130 people. These funds will support the work done by local organizations to help those in need of critical services.

Meth and addiction to other drugs is a problem that is impacting every part of Manitoba including those in the southeast. It requires a coordinated and specific response. Manitoba has initiated a number of measures this year to address the growing problem of substance use disorder. Those measures include opening five RAAM clinics throughout the province to streamline the system and provide access to primary care for Manitobans struggling with substance use, adding six mental health inpatient beds at Health Science Centre Winnipeg, doubling the number of women’s treatment beds at the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba’s Portage Avenue site, and equipping paramedics with olanzapine to treat agitated patients at risk of developing meth psychosis.

We know that substance abuse is an issue across Manitoba and we are taking steps to help those in need of support.