Funding outcome

Canada is facing a crisis of drug poisonings and homelessness. To help, some provinces have passed laws, like Alberta's Compassionate Intervention Act, that let the government force people into drug treatment. While these laws aim to save lives, research shows that forcing care can actually lead to more overdoses and break the trust between patients and the healthcare system. My research looks at the human side of these laws, especially how they affect the health and safety of women. This project has three main goals. First, I will examine how forced treatment affects women who use drugs, especially those already facing violence or social barriers. I want to determine if losing the right to choose makes it harder for them to access safe care or remain with their children. Second, I will study whether these laws damage the vital bond of trust between women patients and their healthcare providers. Finally, I will interview women working in healthcare. Society's expectations of women as 'natural caregivers,' place a unique burden on women healthcare providers. I want to know if being required to override a patient's wishes causes these healthcare providers increased moral distress or emotional strain. To ensure this work is culturally safe and high quality, I am collaborating with Indigenous scholars and a community advisory group of gender diverse people with lived experience. I will interview 20 people who use drugs and 20 healthcare providers in Edmonton to understand how gender, race, and background change the way a person is treated. By highlighting these specific struggles, my goal is to ensure that drug policy protects the dignity and human rights of every woman.