Quebec announces $35 million a year for addiction treatment, prevention

MONTREAL – Quebec’s health minister says there is no opioid crisis in the province, but the government is still investing millions to try and prevent one from occurring.

Gaetan Barrette and Public Health Minister Lucie Charlebois say the province is investing $35 million annually on prevention and treatment of addictive behaviour.

Twenty-three million of that will be dedicated to preventing opioid addiction, while the rest will go towards treating Quebecers with dependencies such as gambling.

The money will also be spent on distributing Naloxone, a medication used to block the effects of opioids, which can save the life of someone experiencing an overdose.

Barrette says that while Quebec is not suffering from a crisis of opioids as are other parts of North America, the province should be prepared.