VICTORIA – Today, NDP Critic for Mental Health and Addictions, Gord Johns, is visiting MP Laurel Collins riding of Victoria to meet with local organizations supporting people who use drugs or are addicted to drugs. Johns is touring the country to raise support for his private member’s bill which would decriminalize personal possession of illicit drugs, expunge criminal convictions for personal possession of drugs, and establish a national strategy for substance use among other things.
“Service providers are on the front lines doing the important work to support their community. They are doing everything they can to keep people safe in the middle of a crisis which has cost thousands of lives,” said Johns. “Like many other cities across the country, Victoria has been deeply affected by this toxic illicit drug supply crisis which has only gotten worse in recent years. It’s about time this Liberal government moved past their outdated ideology, which is costing lives, and listened to the experts. We can’t let any more families deal with this unnecessary pain."