WINNIPEG — The Manitoba legislature has passed a bill to extend the amount of time highly intoxicated people can be detained.

The bill, aimed at dealing with the growing use of methamphetamines and other long-lasting drugs, allows authorities to detain people for up to 72 hours, an increase from the current 24 hours.

The NDP government introduced the bill last month and called on Opposition Progressive Conservatives to support its passage before the end of the legislature session set for Thursday.

The Tories tried unsuccessfully to amend the bill to require community consultation on locations of new protection sites and to prevent the sites from being within 500 metres of schools, child care centres and similar buildings.

Premier Wab Kinew says the meth crisis needs immediate attention, and he has the support of first responders, some parents of addicts and the mayor of Winnipeg.

Some residents in the area of the first planned site opposed the idea, as did some community groups that said the long detention would effectively criminalize addiction.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2025.

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press