Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Greetings. My name is Benjamin Perrin. I'm a law professor at the University of British Columbia.

A decade ago, I was the lead criminal justice and public safety adviser to Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper. I supported the tough on crime agenda and the war on drugs. I've come to realize those views were a toxic blend of ignorance and ideology. My heart was hard. My mind was closed.

What changed? I met with people deeply impacted by this unparalleled, unregulated drug crisis. I met people who use drugs and the family members of those who have lost loved ones. I met groups like Moms Stop the Harm, which have repeatedly asked to meet with people like Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the official opposition, yet he refuses to even listen to those courageous parents. I visited overdose prevention sites and clinics that provide regulated drugs as a substitute for those made by organized crime, places that I understand some members of this committee have refused to even visit. I read the studies and peer-reviewed evidence for myself. I interviewed police, prosecutors, defence lawyers, judges, border officials, indigenous leaders, public health experts, non-profits, peers and addiction medicine physicians.

My faith in Jesus Christ opened my heart to people who are suffering in our society, the marginalized, the downtrodden, the stigmatized and the outcast. I would remind others who share my faith, or profess to, that Jesus came to seek and save the lost, not to condemn and not to punish. He said to let those without sin throw the first stone.

This incredible transformation and journey led to a complete change of heart on these issues. I now have been recommending for many years a compassionate and evidence-based approach. I'll highlight the five urgent needs. There are many mid- and long-term recommendations, as well, but I'll focus on these in the short time I have.

First, naloxone, the temporary antidote to opioid drug poisoning, needs to be widely available and people need to be trained to respond. Naloxone saves lives.

Second, we must ensure every Canadian has access to a safe place to use substances, where they can receive emergency medical support free of fear of criminal prosecution. From January 2017 to January 2024, over 400,000 Canadians used these life-saving supervised consumption services, with staff responding to over 55,000 overdoses. Not a single person died. Over 470,000 referrals were made at these sites to health and social supports. As the Supreme Court of Canada said in a unanimous ruling in 2011, supervised consumption sites save lives, and their benefits have been proven.

All of the sources I'm mentioning have been given to the committee clerk.

Third, regulated substances are needed to replace the toxic, contaminated, unregulated drugs that are killing Canadians. Over 42,000 people died in our country between 2016 and September 2023 during this crisis. Now, misinformation and lies cannot conceal the true reason for these deaths. Illicit fentanyl made by organized crime, including right here in Canada, is the primary cause, detected in 82% of post-mortem toxicology reports. A regulated supply could include prescribed alternatives, compassion clubs or witnessed use for no-cost, regulated alternatives, but with payment required for carries and other options. Those who oppose regulated alternatives condemn Canadians to risk their lives with unregulated drugs made by organized crime. Regulated alternatives save lives.

Fourth, we need to address this as a public health emergency. It's not a criminal justice problem. Criminalizing people who use drugs is cruel, ineffective and deadly. Incarcerating someone with opioid use disorder increases their risk of death by 50 times. For many, it's therefore equivalent to a death sentence.

Fifth, Canadians need treatment and recovery options that reflect five key requirements: evidence-based, rapid access, publicly funded, regulated and, finally, trauma-informed and culturally appropriate. Abstinence-based treatment alone is not medically recommended. Studies, including those in the British Medical Journal, show that those who complete a 28-day detox program have an increased risk of death because this is, again, a chronic relapsing condition and their tolerance goes down rapidly during periods of forced or voluntary detox, making a relapse potentially deadly.

This false debate between harm reduction versus treatment is a distraction. We need both. People need to be alive to enter treatment.

In closing, I agree that no jurisdiction in Canada has fully implemented all of these evidence-based recommendations.

I would implore you, if your goal is to get re-elected and secure power, to read the polling data. If your goal is to save lives, I urge you to read the research and listen to those most deeply impacted by this crisis.

Thank you.