Alberta plans to impose mandatory addictions treatment. What does that mean?

Vanisha Breault stands with her two sons Gabriel, left, and Elijah in this undated photo (Credit: Vanisha Breault)

Scrolling through her phone, Vanisha Breault softly chuckles at photos of her two sons from years ago. They are reminders of the good times for her family.

It’s been years but both of her boys, Elijah and Gabriel, now in their early 20s, are still actively battling their drug additions.

“They’ve been in and out of treatment. They’ve been in and out of detox. It’s been brutal,” said Breault.

Elijah and Gabriel have also left home multiple times and found themselves on the streets.

“I hate what addiction is doing to not just my sons, but everyone you know?” said Breault.

“When I’m out on the street walking around looking for my boys. It’s horrible out there.”

The drug crisis continues to devastate the country. The latest federal data shows more than 49,000 Canadians died from opioid toxicity between January 2016 and June 2024.

Last year, between January and June, 84 per cent of accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths in Canada happened in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.

In Alberta, the United Conservative Party announced plans to combat the issue by building two mandatory drug treatment centres in Calgary and Edmonton and put forward legislation that allows families, doctors or police officers to force someone into treatment. The Compassionate Intervention Act will be the first legislation of its kind in Canada.

“Compassionate intervention legislation would be a tool to help individuals who have lost the capacity to help themselves, and are a danger to themselves and others,” said Premier Danielle Smith.

She said the province will spend $180 million in the next three years to begin constructing the two 150-bed facilities, which will be operational in 2029.

Alberta Mental Health and Addiction Minister Dan Williams said under the legislation, family members and others will petition a commission for involuntary care.

“That commission is going to have a responsibility to actually verify that civil liberties are being protected,” he said.

Involuntary treatment already exists in other provinces such as Ontario and British Columbia.

Last year, the B.C. government announced it would expand involuntary care to those with mental health and addictions issues and open mental health units at correctional facilities throughout the province.

One Alberta mom, Amy Schiffner, whose 21-year-old son has been struggling with addiction for seven years, supports involuntary treatment.

“An individual and active addiction typically do not believe they need help. They insist they are fine and plan to get clean soon. Yet this is often not possible without significant intervention,” said Schiffner.

However, Rebecca Haines-Saah, community health sciences associate professor at the University of Alberta, is concerned about the effectiveness of involuntary treatment.

“When we look at the literature, it’s very mixed. But on the balance, the outcomes from this type of model are more negative than positive,” said Haines-Saah.

“I do have concerns that when people come out of this forced residential treatment model – the really carceral, jail-like model – that they’ll be going back to communities, and I don’t know where and how they’re going to be supported."

Breault believes a more detailed plan needs to be put in place.

“I’m not saying let’s not do this. I’m saying let’s think it through. And in the meantime, let’s fix some of the holes in the system,” said Breault.

“My boys could be sober today if our system worked a little bit better, if our system didn’t have such gaping holes in it.”

As an example of one of those holes, Breault says her son Elijah, who is currently in a remand centre, is open to receiving help but can’t get it.

“Why isn’t someone helping my son in remand right now? He’s in a place where he’s been involuntarily arrested. You know what I’m saying? So, let’s help him get the support. Let’s help him with his psychosis. Let’s help him.”