Decriminalization of simple possession is the first step in treating drug addiction as a health problem instead of a criminal one
The rest of the country will be watching on Tuesday as B.C. begins a three-year experiment with drug decriminalization.While the goal is to treat drug addiction as a health problem instead of a criminal one, experts say decriminalization is unlikely to stop an average of six people a day from dying of drug poisoning.
“I feel like this is such an important step toward shifting the way we as a public think about people who use drugs, the way we talk about people who use drugs and, and the way we marginalize people who use drugs,” Lapointe said. “This is a small step and it’s just the beginning.” “It can’t all be focused on the number of deaths. Because I don’t believe we’re going to see a significant change [in deaths] in the short term.
Those figures don’t bode well for B.C., said Elenore Sturko, the B.C. Liberal’s mental health and addictions critic and a former Surrey RCMP officer, considering the woefully inadequate number of publicly funded treatment beds across the province. B.C. also lacks a central database that could tell us how many people are waiting for treatment and where.
Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to fulfil his 2021 election promise to create a new mental health and addiction transfer payment to the provinces and territories.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Measuring success: There's no agreement on how to decide whether drug decriminalization worksAs B.C. begins it\u0027s three\u002Dear experiment, there\u0027s no agreement on how to decide whether drug decriminalization works
Read more »
As B.C.’s decriminalization pilot project takes hold, political hopes collide with public fearsPolice will also not confiscate substances, in move that government is hopeful will remove stigma, encourage people to seek help
Read more »
Western Canada: As its decriminalization effort takes hold, B.C. is on the cusp of a dramatic changeWhether the change, which takes effect Tuesday, will make a meaningful difference in saving lives is unclear
Read more »
Solar-powered parking meters malfunctioning due to cold, damageThe city's parking app still works reliably, but the executive director of the Downtown Association notes that not everybody has the ability to use it
Read more »
Sam Smith Gushes About Working With Ed Sheeran On ‘Gloria’: ‘It Was Beautiful’Sam Smith says their collab with Ed Sheeran was a long time in the works. The artist's new album Gloria is filled with star-studded names like Canadian Jessie Reyez and Kim Petras, but the track 'Who We Love' with Sheeran took work to come together. 'It was beautiful. We've been friends for a long time…
Read more »
Measuring success: There's no agreement on how to decide whether drug decriminalization worksAs B.C. begins it\u0027s three\u002Dear experiment, there\u0027s no agreement on how to decide whether drug decriminalization works
Read more »