by Morinville News Staff
Health Canada announced Aug. 31 it was making regulatory changes as part of the government’s commitment to addressing the opioid crisis in Canada.
Opioid overdoses and deaths are increasing across the country, and Health Canada sees the severity of this crisis as such that governments need to work together to confront the issue from all sides. Health Canada says RCMP have reported an increase in domestic production of illicit fentanyl in recent months.
Health Canada is proposing to plans to restrict six chemicals used in the production of fentanyl. The idea was put forward by Senator Vern White’s Senate Public Bill S-225, An Act to Amend the Controlled Drugs and Substance Act. This regulatory proposal would add the substances to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) and the Precursor Control Regulations (PCR). Doing so would make unauthorized importation and exportation illegal.
The proposed scheduling of fentanyl precursors complements the new opioid action plan announced by Health Minister Jane Philpott in June, which includes a National Opioid Summit to be held this fall.
“Thanks to the work already done by Senator White, we are able to quickly take this step to restrict chemicals used in the production of fentanyl,” said Jane Philpott, Minister of Health in a release. “Our government is taking a comprehensive, collaborative, compassionate, and evidence-based approach to addressing this public health crisis. There is much more work to be done, and I look forward to convening a summit this fall to work with my colleagues from across Canada to address the ongoing opioid crisis.”
