Pine tree branches in the foreground with a mountain, lake, and forest in the background.

Purpose

Care Without Coercion is a public education and advocacy campaign responding to Alberta’s Compassionate Intervention Act, which permits involuntary treatment of people who use drugs. Our purpose is to resist this normalization of coerced care and to offer an alternative: a future rooted in dignity, autonomy, and voluntary, evidence-based support.

We are not anti-treatment or recovery.

We are pro-consent.

We believe that everyone has the right to make decisions about their own body and care and that recovery can only begin with real choice.

Through public storytelling, accessible education, and collective advocacy, we work to:

1. Provide Public Education
We share clear, accessible information about harm reduction, voluntary care, and the risks of involuntary treatment. Our goal is to help Albertans understand what’s at stake and why consent in healthcare matters.

2. Highlight Evidence-Based Practice
We share and highlight the research, clinical guidance, and public health recommendations that support person-centred, trauma-informed, and voluntary care. We advocate for real solutions backed by data, not politics.

3. Center Lived Experience
We centre, amplify and uplift the voices of People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) and People With Lived and Living Experience (PWLLE). Their stories, insights, and leadership shape every part of this campaign.

4. Support Autonomy and Advocacy
We make it easy for individuals and organizations to get involved, whether it’s sharing a story, signing a petition, contacting your MLA, or amplifying the message. Every action counts.

Our Guiding Principles

  • Dignity

    We affirm the inherent worth of all people, regardless of substance use, housing status, or mental health. Every person has the right to be treated with compassion and humanity.

  • Autonomy

    Bodily autonomy is a basic right, not a reward. Real care must be chosen, not forced. Consent is the foundation of ethical healthcare.

  • Truth

    Care Without Coercion is rooted in evidence, not fear. We challenge misinformation with facts and public health research, not panic or stigma.

  • Empathy

    We lead with compassion, not control. We reject punitive approaches and focus instead on what helps people feel safe, seen, and supported.

  • Solidarity

    We don’t speak for People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) or People With Lived and Living Experience (PWLLE), we stand with them. This campaign is built in collaboration with PWUD, harm reduction organizations, and values-aligned organizations who know what real care looks like.