This election could test public support for harm-reduction drug programs

Shila Green is convinced she'd be dead if it weren't for a clean supply of opioids she received while in the throes of addiction.

For six months in 2023, she underwent an injectable opioid agonist therapy program in Saint John, which allowed her the stability to transition away from injecting illicit opioids, and on to orally-administered methadone.

"That way I'm not getting dirty stuff on the street, right?," said Green, who now lives in Fredericton.

"If it wasn't for them, I would have died, right?"

The type of program Green participated in typically falls under an umbrella of what have become known as harm reduction services.

They're often provided by non-profits, where the goal isn't necessarily getting users to abstain from substances.

Rather, they offer services ranging from giving out clean needles, to providing a space for people to use drugs under the supervision of a health-care provider, to clinical programs that prescribe patients pharmaceutical-grade opioids to keep them away from the increasingly toxic supply of illicit drugs.

But those harm reduction programs have faced criticism, with opponents linking them to increases in crime and homelessness, particularly in areas where those services are provided.

And with differing solutions on offer from the federal party leaders, this election could prove to be a litmus test for the public's support for those programs.

"There's no question that the harm reduction approach has been criticized quite heavily by downtown Fredericton," said Mike Davis, owner of The Radical Edge, an outdoor sports store in the downtown.

"I think it probably has a place in our society. Whether it's properly located, I'm not sure."

Davis said his and other downtown businesses have experienced an increase in property crime such as theft and vandalism in recent years.

That increase coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which upended the mental and financial health of many.

But it also coincided with the opening of harm reduction services, including a centre on King Street offering prescription opioids as an alternative to street drugs like fentanyl.