A City of Toronto program handing out crack pipes and meth pipes to the city’s shelters has drawn the ire of Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who slammed the program as “ridiculous.”

On Tuesday, Toronto mayoral candidate Anthony Furey held press conference where he passionately condemned a City of Toronto program handing out city-branded drug paraphernalia to non-profit shelters across the city.

“A whistleblower has provided me with City of Toronto branded crystal meth pipe kits and crack pipes. So your tax dollars, ladies and gentlemen, are going towards creating crystal meth pipes and crack pipe kits,” said Furey at Tuesday’s media event.

At the press conference, Furey presented a blue bag and green bag embroidered with Toronto Public Health’s branding containing a crack pipe kit and crystal meth kit, respectively. 

Poilievre took to social media to denounce the program, urging an alternative solution to solve Canada’s growing drug addiction crisis.

“This is ridiculous. City-branded crack and meth pipes are now being handed out in our cities,” said Poilievre. 

“Stop enabling drug addiction with tax dollars. Put it towards treatment and recovery so we can bring home our loved ones drug free.”

Since ascending to the Conservative leadership, Poilievre has taken a vigorous stance opposing the expansion of drug injection sites and other programs enabling addicts’ continued abuse of illicit drugs. 

Poilievre has taken an alternate approach of championing drug recovery and treatment centres, a course of action that progressive governments across the country have avoided while the Conservative government in Alberta has taken steps in that direction. 

Furey has also been forthright in his opposition to the progressive approach to the drug crisis. Like Poilievre, Furey has championed opening drug recovery centres and shutting down the city’s drug injection sites.

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