Brampton mulls forced treatment for addictions, mental health
CBC
As Peel Region deals with an ongoing toxic drug crisis, Brampton's mayor is proposing a controversial idea to Ontario's government, asking the province to allow for involuntary treatment of people dealing with mental health and addictions issues.
At a news conference Thursday, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown called on the province to implement a pilot project that would allow first responders in Peel Region to put people suffering from severe addictions, mental health disorders and brain injuries in a psychiatric facility against their will — if deemed necessary by a doctor.
That would require changes to the province's Mental Health Act, something the premier says he could be open to.
Though involuntary treatment has its opponents, with advocates and medical professionals concerned about its efficacy and impact on individual rights, the idea is already being considered seriously in other parts of the country.
In British Columbia, a province that has spent years grappling with one of the country's worst toxic drug crises, the government announced this weekend it will expand involuntary care for people with mental health and addictions issues. New Brunswick is also mulling the same change.
Brown, who referred to involuntary treatment as "compassionate care," said Ontario needs to follow suit.
"The approach from British Columbia offers a vital lifeline for those in crisis, helping individuals regain control when addiction obstructs their ability to seek help," Brown said.
"If someone's in the midst of a heart attack and is not able to explain they need to go to the hospital, you're still taking them to the hospital for treatment," he said.
"There are individuals who are on the verge of fatality that desperately need treatment."
The Peel Region is becoming overwhelmed with overdoses and emergency health cases caused by toxic drugs and mental health issues, Brown said, noting there have been 705 deaths related to toxic substances in the last five years. He said Brampton is at the epicentre of the region's crisis.
Since 2010, visits to Brampton's mental health and addictions emergency department in urgent care have increased 121 per cent, he said. That's putting more strain on emergency health care and Peel Regional Police, who Brown says have received over 30,000 calls related to mental health and addictions since 2022.
But the proposal has its detractors.
Over the past year, the Canadian Civil Liberties Union has opposed proposals to implement involuntary treatment in New Brunswick and British Columbia, saying it infringes on individual rights and may even be unconstitutional.
Brown said Thursday he expects involuntary care would be challenged in the courts, but Brampton has done extensive consultations on the issue and he believes it would prevent hundreds of needless deaths.
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