The Canadian Mental Health Association is looking to create a Made In Canada approach to opioid usage, by looking over seas for inspiration.

National Director of Research and Public Policy Fardous Housseiny says one of the things the organization is doing is examining Portugal`s approach to opioid usage.

He says when the Portuguese government decriminalized opiates, the results were astounding. He says they saw a 50 per cent reduction in the number of people being arrested for drug related offences and a 50 per cent increase in people accessing treatment .

Housseiny says the model used by the Pôrtuguese might not fit in Canada due to the federated model, but it’s important to look to them to develop a “Made In Canada” decriminalization model.