We can amplify our voices to demand change to ensure that no more lives are needlessly lost to laced drug overdoses.
Trace the Lace - Ottawa.
Seeking Justice, Preventing Tragic Losses.
We are parents who have lost our children to toxic, drug-laced substances. We honour their lives by raising awareness of the dangers of the toxic drug supply and working to prevent other families from experiencing this lifelong grief.
Trace the Lace’s Mission is to advance legal and policy changes that support law enforcement in keeping Canadians safe. Through this work, we aim to prevent further heartbreaking losses in our communities and protect our next generation. Together, we can reduce these unnecessary tragedies, ensure that people with addiction have immediate support, and prevent other parents from the unimaginable loss of a child. Overdose victims are our children, brothers, sisters, nephews/nieces, grandchildren, and friends. Their lives were cut short; their potential never realized. It is time to put lives first!
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Seeking justice and accountability.
Trace the Lace advocates for a centralized, federal-level intake team to ensure that all suspected laced drug overdoses are automatically investigated and traced to their source. This approach will support consistent, coordinated investigations across jurisdictions. The intent is to reduce current barriers and variations of overdose responses/investigations between individual police services.
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Preventing future losses.
New federal legislation is needed to better support law enforcement in laying charges and securing convictions against those who distribute toxic substances linked to drug overdose deaths. We will advocate for a review of Manner of Death related to laced drug overdoses. Changing the way we label overdoses from “accidental” to “suspicious” with the goal of assisting police investigations. Our loved ones died from poisoned drugs and did not want to die.
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Education and awareness.
Reducing stigma around drug use and overdose victims is essential, along with appropriately placing responsibility on those who distribute toxic substances that harm communities. We are also seeing increased recreational drug use among youth, influenced in part by music and film. It is important to recognize that every overdose victim is a loved family member or friend, not just a statistic. Creating spaces for families and friends to share their stories can foster understanding, respect, and meaningful change.
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More Government funded treatment facilities.
Advocate for immediate admissions to government-funded treatment facilities for those struggling with addiction. Accessible and prompt treatment options will save lives and prevent further tragedies caused by laced drugs.