Premier Doug Ford Open to Involuntary Addiction Treatment
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Ontario's leader signals willingness to expand forced treatment as Big City Mayors press for legislative reviews to combat rising addiction and homelessness.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has stated he is open to the possibility of involuntary addiction treatment, according to reporting from CityNews Toronto and CBC Toronto.
Speaking Thursday during a cabinet shuffle that saw the appointment of Michelle Cooper as the new associate minister of mental health, Ford indicated a willingness to consider forced treatment if it benefits both the individuals and their communities. Ford noted that mayors are "very, very frustrated" as municipalities bear the costs of a spike in addictions and homelessness that has occurred since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The shift in tone follows repeated pressure from the Big City Mayors group. In late August, the group renewed a request for the province to review the Health Care Consent Act and the Mental Health Act—two laws that currently permit brief periods of involuntary hospital admissions. The mayors first made this urgent request two years ago, stating that "lives are at stake" and that the crisis is worsening.
While Ford has expressed openness to the idea, Health Minister Sylvia Jones has stated her preference for voluntary treatment and is currently consulting with experts. CityNews Toronto and CBC Toronto report that while the province is studying involuntary addiction and mental health treatment within jails, no legislation has been introduced to date.