Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he disagrees with the province’s top doctor’s recommendation to increase the drinking age to 21 and decriminalize certain drugs.
Ford pointed out the absurdity of someone being old enough to serve in the Canadian Armed Forces but not be able to enjoy a drink.
“I disagree with raising the (drinking) age to 21 and one of my principles (is) these young people they put a uniform on and go fight for freedom around the world, driving tanks and heavy military equipment, and putting their lives on the line for democracy and they can’t go back later and have a beer?” he said during a press conference in Oliver Paipoonge, Ont. Wednesday.
“That doesn’t cut it.”
Ford was responding to a recommendation made by Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore, who suggested the change as part of his 2023 annual report.
The province’s drinking age wasn’t the only recommendation that the two didn’t see eye to eye on however, as Moore also suggested decriminalizing simple possession of unregulated drugs for personal use.
However, the health minister’s office took issue with the notion of decriminalizing hard drugs and immediately rejected the suggestion.
Ford said despite the disagreement, he still has a lot of respect for Moore.
“I think the world of Dr. Moore,” Ford said. “As far as I’m concerned he’s a champion. He has his opinion, we have ours. We believe in treating people like adults. All across the world you get to go into a retail store, a big box store and buy a bottle of wine with your steak, or maybe a six pack of beer, like the rest of the world does. That’s what we believe in.”
Ford added that he’ll “always support Dr. Moore and the job he’s doing.”
Other alcohol-related recommendations from Moore’s report are that the province “establish and maintain a moratorium on alcohol privatization (i.e. no further privatization of the alcohol distribution system, and no expansion of existing private retail channels).”
Moore also recommended implementing a system to “maintain or reduce current per-capita levels of retail outlet density,” one which would, “limit or prevent further extension of hours of sale in both on- and off-premise outlets.”
Moore also believes that by increasing Ontario’s alcohol pricing system, the province would see a reduction in alcohol related harms.
“Increase the legislated tax rates and minimum pricing per standard drink for all beverage types sold both on- and off-premises,” read the report. “Automatically adjust the taxes and minimum prices annually to keep pace with inflation so alcohol does not become less expensive relative to other goods over time.”
On decriminalizing hard drugs such as opioids and implementing a safe supply program akin to the one in place in B.C., Ontario Minister of Health Sylvia Jones said the province would not be complying with the report’s recommendation.
“We want pathways for treatment (for those) that have addiction issues,” said Jones. “And we are making those investments. I think there is a better way than legalizing drugs, and opioids in particular.”
Jones added that the Ford government is looking into finding alternate treatment possibilities for addicts, despite Moore’s insistence that decriminalization would save lives.
According to Moore’s report, many deaths caused by substance abuse are “preventable,” arguing that it’s the unsafe supply of drugs already available in the streets that “harm too many people too young, devastate families, destroy communities, and reduce life expectancy, we must act.”
“Decriminalization … allows the justice and enforcement systems to focus their resources on stopping the organizations and individuals profiting from unregulated drug sales rather than on people who use substances whose needs would be better met in the health system,” said the report.
However, police have been warning about the dangers of safe supply programs as many of the drugs handed out under those outlets do often wind up in the hands of organized crime, who then sell them back to addicts in a practice known as diversion.
A recent drug bust in Prince George, B.C. led to the seizure of many pills which were discovered to have originated from safe supply programs.
“Organized crime groups are actively involved in the redistribution of safe supply and prescription drugs,” said Corp. Jennifer Cooper of the RCMP’s Prince George detachment following the bust last month.