Alberta to Establish Involuntary Addiction Treatment Centres

Alberta’s government announced plans to create two facilities designated for “compassionate intervention” to treat severe drug addictions without requiring consent. Premier Danielle Smith and Mental Health and Addictions Minister Dan Williams detailed that one centre will be built in Calgary and one in Edmonton, each equipped with 150 beds. The new policy, which might be the first Canadian law of its kind, empowers family members, healthcare professionals, and law enforcement to refer individuals deemed dangerous to themselves or others for compulsory treatment. Construction is slated to begin next year with an expected completion date in 2029.

The proposed legislation is set to be presented by the United Conservative Party, marking nearly two years of discussion following earlier media reports on Alberta’s plans for forced treatment measures. Although the operational details remain under discussion, the framework mandates that a commission—including lawyers, physicians, public representatives, and potentially Indigenous elders—will determine eligibility based on strict criteria. In addition to providing detox, counselling, and therapy services, the centres are designed with built-in safeguards to protect individual rights. Legal support, access to a health advocate, and the possibility to appeal decisions are integral parts of the plan.

Critics from the fields of addictions, law, and criminology have voiced concerns that the new approach could infringe on Charter rights and may even exacerbate the very problems it intends to solve by undermining voluntary treatment systems. Experts like Elaine Hyshka from the University of Alberta have questioned the efficacy of involuntary treatment programs, noting that many voluntary services already face long waiting periods. The ongoing debate reflects a broader concern over whether compulsory intervention is the way forward in addressing Alberta’s escalating drug crisis.

Supporters of the proposed legislation, including community leaders and family members touched by the crisis, have expressed optimism that the new centres could provide the urgently needed help for individuals caught in severe addiction. Amid a backdrop of a rising death toll from drug poisonings—averaging four lives lost each day—the government argues that decisive action is necessary, both to protect Albertans and to mitigate external pressures, such as potential U.S. tariffs highlighting the urgency of resolving the crisis.