When Alberta began walking away from the failed policy of harm reduction the smart set scoffed. It wouldn’t work, it couldn’t be done, don’t you know that all the best minds, all the best papers in peer reviewed journals say that harm reduction saves lives and without it, more people will die.
Of course, what happened was a big drop in the number of opioid related overdose deaths from 1,874 in 2023 to 1,189 in 2024 as the province made the pivot.
Now, I can reveal in an in-depth piece for the Toronto Sun that the same can be said of Ontario’s pivot. Across the province, opioid overdose deaths have fallen 37.5%, in Toronto where Premier Doug Ford faced the biggest opposition to this move, overdose deaths fell 44%.
Have you heard that anywhere else in the media?
I only ask because if deaths had gone up province wide by 37.5% and 44% in Toronto then it would have been the lead story for every radio and TV newscast, the Star and Globe would have given prime front page treatment and the questions dogging Ford at Queen’s Park would be endless.
Overdose deaths going down doesn’t fit the received narrative of the chattering classes though, so it’s ignored. Most likely because they can’t believe it.
This is all open source information, freely available online. In my column I’ve shared all the links.
Do consider reading it and giving it a share on social media.
Conservative score big in Quebec as PQ wins…
I know the big news is that the Parti Quebecois won the provincial election in Quebec, but what I’m excited for is the win for Eric Duhaime and the Quebec Conservative Party.
The last time anyone was elected to Quebec’s legislature under a Conservative banner was in 1935. Yesterday, Duhaime and his team won 19 seats making them the third party in the legislature and a potential partner for the PQ on economic issues, but not separation.
Why am I so excited?
Eric is an old friend who worked with me at the Sun News Network and wrote columns for years for the Toronto Sun. He’s also a really good guy, smart, principled and hard working.
Here’s my conversation with Marc-Olivier Fortin, a political commentator from Quebec and former VP of the federal Conservative Party.
None of this surprises me about harm reduction. The academic/elite class won’t ever admit that it makes no sense to take away the negative stigma of drugs. Why as a society would we want something that takes away all positive and productive aspects of someone’s life? How is it dignified to make it EASIER to be high all day? I am surprised about the conservative resurgence in Quebec! 😳 Makes me wonder about the CONSTANT media coverage of Mark Carney and his incredible popularity.
Explain why Quebec can vote in a Separatist Party and that’s Ok
But Albertans can not even vote on the thought of separation with out being called every Name in the book !!
Absolutely sickening, but just highlights the actual reason for Alberta to leave !