Alberta's request to introduce new tracking method for safer drug supply rejected by Ottawa

The federal Liberal government is rejecting a proposal from the Alberta government to consider adding a “unique chemical identifier” to the pharmaceuticals being offered to users as an alternative to street drugs.

Mental Health and Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks wrote Monday to her counterpart in Alberta, saying that while she takes concerns about diversion seriously, the province’s proposal raises practical concerns.

Critics, including some addiction specialists, want the federal government to reconsider its support for programs that offer drug users pharmaceuticals like hydromorphone as an alternative to street drugs.

Experts say the country’s overdose crisis is largely being fuelled by an increasingly toxic