Could decriminalization of drugs combat the opioid crisis?

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As Toronto Public Health and Toronto Police Service jointly apply for decriminalization of personal use drugs in Canada’s largest city, Sudbury.com asked stakeholders if it might work in Greater Sudbury

Toronto Public Health, with the support of the Toronto Police Service, has recently re-applied to Health Canada to decriminalize personal use drugs within the city limits as part of their effort to tackle the opioid crisis.

The Toronto Model does not outline a proposed threshold, nor does it have limitations on the types of substances one can possess. The city is asking for all drugs to be decriminalized for personal use and for the exemption to cover adults and young people. Toronto Public Health’s stated goal is to “reduce the mental, physical and social harms associated with criminalizing people for possessing drugs for their personal use.

Instead of prison cells, drug-dependent individuals in Portugal are now offered treatment programs that integrate them back into society. Even police officers have benefited, now free to focus on intercepting large-scale trafficking and uncovering smugglers. Public Health Sudbury does not have an official position on decriminalization, but is aware of several models in use around the country.

“Removing those criminal punishments and sanctions and helping to reduce the stigma for people that use drugs can help make it easier for them to access treatment and services,” he said, “instead of being indebted, facing fines or penalties, or potentially having a criminal record.”“They identified in their letter that policing the boundary of the Greater Toronto area can be difficult, as it's not applied to the entire province,” said Circelli.

 

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