Health minister says forced addictions treatment lacks evidence, feds won’t intervene
By Canadian Press on June 3, 2025.
OTTAWA — Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel says there’s no evidence that forcing people into addictions treatment works — but she won’t weigh in on whether provinces should pursue involuntary treatment.
Alberta has introduced sweeping legislation to allow family members, health care workers or police to apply to have someone ordered into treatment for addiction.
B.C. and Ontario are pursuing policies that will expand involuntary treatment in the justice system.
The proposed changes have been met with opposition from advocates who say governments should focus on expanding access to voluntary treatment instead.
Michel says every Canadian has the right to get treatment for addiction but adds there’s no scientific evidence suggesting that forcing people into treatment is the right approach.
Michel says mental health is going to be one of her top priorities in her new role.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2025.
Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press
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“….Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel says there’s no evidence that forcing people into addictions treatment works….”
No surprise that the federal health Ministry ignores tangible proof that has been proven in the US, in Johnson City, TN 12 years ago, when they are hit hard with the opioid crisis due to their close proximity to Mexico.
They began with drug courts, jail or treatment . . . that is forced treatment! The 3 year term after treatment saw from recidivism go from 49% to 14-17%.
That is going from a 51% success rate in 3 years to an 83% to 86% success rate.
The biggest factor is the delivery of treatment! 18 months to 24 months which includes treating patients for ACES, PTSD, or other trauma which hinders recovery, then upgrading and job placement.
The federal Health Ministry has allowed BC and some other provinces to legally ‘give’ addicts free opioids under the guise of safe supply which has zero evidence that it works. In fact, think about how many got addicted in BC and across Canada when they doctors prescribed opioids for pain after surgery or injuries . . . many got addicted from these! The feds have allowed provinces to be drug dealers, enabling addicts, with no hope or emphasis on treatment!
The Alberta drug courts had high success rated in the 80% range when first tested in Edmonton, but those numbers have been lowered because they allowed other treatment programs to be involved which are short term and fail to deal with the underlying issues that cause many to fail!
Effective treatment programs work and there are several proven forms of forced treatment, so the feds have the heads in the sand . . . or some dark place where the sun don’t shine . . . they didn’t bother the check!
8 years ago I found out about the trial in Johnson City, TN and spoke with the Executive Director, Becky Haas who came up with the plan which one several Criminal Justice awards, and many other awards.
Unfortunately, the TN Corrections system took over the program and made changes in the treatment, and recidivism grew, just like the Edmonton drug court trial and changes after!
It works when the treatment programs are delivered effectively! I am sorry, but the 1 week sweat lodges do nothing but temporarily detox them before they go back and fill their bodies with more poison!
People die when pride gets into the mix or demands that it is our way or the highway!
Here is some data on the effectiveness of coerced/mandated treatment:
1. Effectiveness of Coerced Addiction Treatment (Alternative Consequences): A Review of the Clinical ResearchThis review suggests that coercion can be fundamental to addiction treatment, emphasizing that experiencing consequences of addiction may motivate individuals to engage in treatment and achieve recovery.
Full Text: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10636601/
2. Substance Abuse Treatment Outcomes for Coerced and Noncoerced ClientsA study of 289 individuals in Ohio found that legally coerced participants were more likely than noncoerced participants to report abstaining from alcohol and other drugs and demonstrated reduced addiction severity at a six-month follow-up.
Full Text: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17432737/
3. The Effectiveness of Involuntary Outpatient Treatment: Empirical Evidence and the Experience of Eight StatesThis RAND report indicates that involuntary outpatient commitment, when combined with intensive mental health services, can be effective in reducing the risk of negative outcomes, though the effect of the court order itself remains uncertain.
Full Text: https://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1340.html
4. Mandated Treatment and Its Impact on Therapeutic Process and Outcome FactorsA multinational European study involving about 3,000 adult inpatients found that clients showed moderate symptom improvement after coerced hospital admission. Additionally, a U.S. study of over 2,700 women with co-occurring disorders demonstrated that mandated treatment was associated with greater psychiatric symptom improvement.
Full Text: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00219/full
5. Outcomes of Mandated Treatment for Women with Histories of Abuse and Co-occurring DisordersIn a national study of 2,726 women, mandated treatment was associated with better outcomes in psychiatric distress, trauma-related symptoms, and substance use at both six-month and twelve-month follow-ups, regardless of treatment condition.
Full Text: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19394186/
6. The Role of Mandated Mental Health Treatment in the Criminal Justice SystemAnalyzing North Carolina court cases from 1994 to 2009, this study found that mandated mental health treatment as a term of probation decreased the likelihood of three-year recidivism by about 12 percentage points, or 36 percent.
Full Text: https://arxiv.org/abs/2212.06736
7. Perceived Coercion at Hospital Admission and Adherence to Mental Health Treatment After DischargeThis study of 825 psychiatric inpatients found that perceived coercion at admission was not associated with treatment adherence after discharge, suggesting that coercion does not necessarily impact adherence negatively.
Full Text: https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ps.54.1.103
8. Coercion and Treatment Satisfaction Among Involuntary PatientsAn Irish multicenter study observed that involuntary patients reported good overall satisfaction with services post-admission, though experiences of physical coercion and lack of involvement in decision-making were associated with lower satisfaction.
Full Text: https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/ps.2010.61.3.286
9. Longer Term Outcomes of Voluntarily Admitted Service Users with High Levels of Perceived CoercionThis study found that voluntarily admitted individuals who perceived high levels of coercion had better therapeutic relationships compared to involuntarily admitted patients, with no significant differences in engagement, satisfaction, and functioning one year after discharge.
Full Text: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26189340/
10. Drug Courts and Their Effectiveness in Reducing Recidivism and Substance UseNumerous studies, including meta-analyses, show that adult drug courts are effective in reducing recidivism and substance use among participants. Drug court participants have significantly lower re-arrest and relapse rates compared to traditional adjudication.
Full Text: https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/drug_court_effectiveness_2011.pdf