Ex-Deputy Minister Exposes Why Canada's Harm Reduction Is Failing

Overdose deaths keep climbing across most of the country. But one province did the opposite, and the results are hard to argue with.

I sat down with Kym Kaufmann — former Deputy Minister of Mental Health & Addictions for Manitoba and now CEO of the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence — to break down exactly what Alberta is doing differently, and why it's working:

• 36% reduction in overdose deaths since 2023 (vs. just 9% nationally — and only 1% if you remove Alberta)
• 70% reduction in overdose deaths for individuals released from corrections
• Same-day access to addiction treatment (vs. months-long wait times elsewhere)
• Why "harm reduction" stats may be measuring the wrong things entirely
• The case for involuntary treatment — and where it crosses the line
• Why stigmatizing behavior (not people) might be the missing piece

This isn't a hit piece or a harm-reduction defense — it's a data-driven look at what's actually working, and what Ontario, BC, and every other province could learn from it.

🔗 Learn more about Alberta's model: recoveryexcellence.org

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Chapters:

00:00 – Intro & welcome to Kym Kaufmann
01:26 – Kym's background: from OT to Deputy Minister
03:45 – Why Alberta took a different approach
04:48 – What makes Alberta's recovery model different
05:57 – The numbers: 36% reduction in overdose deaths
07:50 – Virtual Opioid Dependency Program (VODP)
09:43 – Wait times: Alberta vs. the rest of Canada
12:11 – Cost savings & return on investment
14:18 – Addiction treatment inside correctional facilities
15:33 – Are people actually getting off drugs?
19:03 – Harm reduction vs. involuntary treatment
22:28 – Where could involuntary treatment go wrong?
24:57 – Redefining "harm reduction"
26:20 – How activists skew the data
29:29 – Ontario's HEART Hubs vs. Alberta's long-term model
33:33 – Destigmatizing the person, not the behavior
35:52 – Policing, deterrence & consequences
38:44 – What to do when someone refuses help
40:28 – Alberta's top 3 biggest wins
41:20 – Advice for municipalities outside Alberta
45:04 – Holding institutions accountable for outcomes
47:34 – Best use of limited local funding
49:50 – Does Housing First work for addiction?
52:36 – Should recovery come with accountability?
53:49 – Psychedelics & ibogaine in Alberta's model
55:35 – If Kym ran Ontario's health policy
57:08 – Takeaways from the Recovery Capital Conference
58:29 – Where to learn more + final thoughts

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Ex-Deputy Minister Exposes Why Canada's Harm Reduction Is Failing

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