How should Toronto best combat drug addiction? Mayoral candidates have starkly different ideas

Toronto's overdose crisis took the spotlight on the mayoral campaign trail Wednesday, with some candidates suggesting the city change course on decriminalization while others argue it's best not to politicize the issue.

"I do think that it's a health issue, but I'm not supportive of decriminalizing," former police chief and mayoral candidate Mark Saunders said in an interview with CBC News. 

"I kind of feel like we're giving up when we answer it that way."

Data shows that Canada's overdose crisis has worsened during the pandemic, with the number of people dying from illicit drugs soaring to new heights in many provinces. According to those who research and work with drug users, the country's increasingly toxic drug supply is to blame. 

In Toronto, the number of deaths from opioid toxicity has been steadily climbing, according to figures provided by Toronto Public Health. In 2014, there were 124 confirmed fatalities. That number increased to 591 in 2021 — the last year for which data is currently available.  

Toronto made a request to the federal government in January 2022 to decriminalize all drugs for personal use. The city updated that request last month, laying out a model that goes further than what Health Canada approved in British Columbia. 

'This shouldn't be a political game'

Like Saunders, not all mayoral candidates agree with the move.

Former longtime councillor Giorgio Mammoliti argues that decriminalization doesn't work — and isn't safe. 

"City officials have blatantly disregarded the inevitable negative consequences of this decision on the community, downtown businesses, school and marginalized communities," he said in a news release Wednesday. 

City councillor and mayoral candidate Josh Matlow, meanwhile, says the city must follow medical evidence when it comes to tackling the city's overdose crisis. 

"The debate about whether or not to decriminalize drugs should be facts-based, objective and we should follow the experts' guidance," he told CBC News in an interview. 

"This shouldn't be a political game. We're talking about people's lives." 

Matlow is instead proposing a plan to create a $115-million "community health and safety fund" to combat the root causes of violence in Toronto — which he says would be achieved by capping the police budget for the next three years.

He said "stabilizing" the police budget at $1.16 billion for the next three years would free up funds in subsequent budgets to invest in preventing violent crime through avenues like mental health supports. 

Debate over safe injection sites

Meanwhile, former Toronto Sun columnist and mayoral candidate Anthony Furey announced Wednesday that, if elected, he would halt the planned creation of two new safe injection sites and redirect the resources toward the creation of drug treatment facilities. 

In February, the city announced plans to collaborate with St. Michael's Hospital and Toronto Western Hospital to create new supervised consumption sites for people who use unregulated drugs. The city says the sites provide critical medical services and have been proven to save lives. 

Furey said he would instead use those funds to create treatment centres that would support mandatory treatment. 

"There are folks roaming our streets right now who are a danger to themselves, a danger to others, a danger to Toronto families — they need mandatory treatment," he told reporters Wednesday. 

Saunders disagrees, saying he would continue to support harm-reduction efforts like supervised injection sites. 

"Treatment and recovery are the two most important aspects when it comes to substance use," he said. 

Implementing 'offender-focused' policing

The issue of social support in the city has made headlines in recent weeks amid a recent rise in violence on Toronto's transit system. 

Many experts say the city lacks social support for people who are living in crisis. 

On Thursday, former conservative city councillor Rob Davis pledged to institute "offender-focused policing" to tackle the issue. 

The strategy would concentrate police resources on known criminals "who are responsible for a large share of the street crime and violence we're experiencing," he said in a statement. 

"I will direct and support a new focus by our police on crime hotspots with the emphasis on deterrence and prevention." 

Offender-focused policing has been adopted by police services in Edmonton, with the goal of working with offenders to stop their criminal behaviour and keep them out of the criminal justice system.

42 candidates running to be next mayor 

Though he previously said he would stay out of the race to replace former mayor John Tory, Premier Doug Ford said voters should not support anyone who wants to cut police budgets in the wake of the spike in violence. 

He said there needs to be a three-pronged approach to address the issue: mental health supports, more police, and federal bail reform. 

The nomination period for the June 26 byelection officially opened on April 3.

As of Wednesday afternoon, 42 candidates officially put their names forward to be Toronto's next mayor. The nomination period closes at 2 p.m. on May 12. 

DISCLAIMER: Shawn Jeffords, who contributed to this story, previously worked with mayoral candidate Anthony Furey at the Toronto Sun.