The Canadian government has announced that it will allow the province of British Columbia to try a three-year experiment to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs, in the hope that it will help curb a record number of overdose deaths by alleviating the fear of being arrested by those in need. help.
The policy approved by federal officials does not legalize the substances, but Canadians in the Pacific Coast Province who own up to 2.5 g of illicit drugs for personal use will not be arrested or charged.
The three-year exemption, effective January 31, will apply to drug users 18 years of age or older and includes opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA, also known as ecstasy.
“Stigma and fear of criminalization cause some people to hide their drug use, use it alone, or use it in other ways that increase the risk of harm. That’s why the Canadian government is treating the drug. of substances as a health problem, not as a criminal problem, “tweeted Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s director of public health.
The provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said that with politics, “we are taking an important step to eliminate this fear, shame and stigma.”
“This is not the only thing that will reverse this crisis, but it will make a difference,” he added.
British Columbia is the first Canadian province to apply for an exemption from Canada’s drug laws.
Carolyn Bennett, the federal Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, said it could serve as a template for other jurisdictions in Canada.
“This limited time exemption is the first of its kind in Canada,” he said. “Real-time adjustments will be made upon receipt of the analysis of any data indicating the need to change.”
Bennett said they do it to save lives. “For too many years ideological opposition to harm reduction has cost lives,” he said.
Since 2016, there have been more than 9,400 deaths due to illicit toxic drugs in the province and a record 2,224 last year.
Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart said he receives emails every Monday about drug deaths, including nine last week and 12 last week. He said one week he was a member of his own family.
“I wanted to cry, and I still want to cry. That’s a big, big thing,” Stewart said. He said the exemption from Canada’s drug laws is just the beginning.
The permitted amount of illegal substances is below the 4.5 g requested by British Columbia, and some drug user groups have already considered a threshold too low that they have criticized the province for not consulting them properly.
Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health in British Columbia, said the fear of being criminalized has led many people to hide their addiction and use drugs alone.
“Using sun can mean dying alone, especially in this climate of tragically increased toxicity from illicit drugs,” Malcolmson said.
Malcolmson said the British Columbia coroner reports that between five and seven people die each day in the province from overdoses and that half of these happen in a private home, often when people are alone. “Fear and shame keep drug use a secret,” he said.