The county is undergoing a two-year drug control experiment in Oregon, USA, that allows adults up to 2.5 grams of hard drugs
Possession of a few grams of cocaine or heroin is no longer a criminal offense in a Canadian province. British Columbia has joined another initiative from Oregon, in the United States, which has been implementing a decriminalization program for possession of these substances for personal use for more than two years. On the Canadian east coast, the experiment has been approved that allows to have up to 2.5 grams of hard drugs without being obliged to sit on the couch. The measure is designed to curb crime related to the sale and trafficking of drugs, and to promote consumer health education over legal penalties.
The program does not mean that these types of drugs will no longer be illegal, just that adults will not be arrested or charged for carrying small amounts. On the other hand, they are given privileged access to social and health services to obtain information about narcotics. The government hopes to ensure that addicts gain confidence in their health and can access consultations or enroll in drug withdrawal programs without fear of social debt. “Decriminalization takes away fear and shame and makes them feel safer as they seek help to save their lives,” said Jennifer Whiteside, the local Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.
Vancouver, the province’s largest city, has opted for a peculiar and controversial approach. It will provide users of these substances with places to inject themselves, antidotes and even prescriptions. The defenders of this measure ensure that by facilitating access to aseptic areas and providing health monitoring, consumers avoid the risk of infection or the spread of disease.
At least 10,000 people have died from drug overdoses in British Columbia since 2016, when a public health emergency was declared over the rise in drug use. It is the province most affected by drugs. Cocaine, fentanyl and synthetic substances are considered the leading causes of unnatural death in the region. Last year the alarm went off when a thousand deaths were registered in six months; the highest death toll ever recorded by coroners in British Columbia history. This tragic circumstance has given the greatest impetus to the defenders of the legalization of some of these drugs, believing that only controlling their consumption and creating a specific health infrastructure can stop the bleeding of the victims.
British Columbia Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe has urged the need for a more comprehensive approach to addiction. The justification is that treating consumption as a disease is more effective than prosecuting it as a crime. “Encouraging compassionate treatment and support is the only way to get citizens out of danger and out of this public health crisis,” Lapointe told RCI.
This initiative is in addition to the Oregon policy. In 2020, this North American state announced the decriminalization of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl and morphine. However, the number of overdoses increased by 20% in the following two years, although the government has decided to continue the program as it is still in the experimental phase. Last year, the government even invested 300 million dollars (about 200 million euros) in expanding the coverage of services for drug addicts.
The Oregon case has brought British Columbia into the global drug control debate. The program has been authorized by the Canadian government for three years, but can be discontinued at any time if the results are unfavorable.
Source: La Verdad
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