Vancouver Sun

Drugs for personal use should be decriminal­ized, police chiefs say

- JENNIFER SALTMAN jensaltman@postmedia.com twitter.com/jensaltman

Police chiefs from across Canada are calling for the possession of illicit drugs for personal use to be decriminal­ized, and for a national task force to research drug policy reform.

Decriminal­ization is something health experts and advocates have been pushing authoritie­s to move on for years, and they say the police action is welcome, but long overdue.

“I think it’s a very sensible, progressiv­e move, and I’m very supportive of it,” said Dr. Perry Kendall, interim executive co-director of the B.C. Centre on Substance Use and a past provincial health officer.

“We’ve known for many years that the current approach to classifyin­g some drugs as legal and some as illegal doesn’t have any logical basis behind it.”

Vancouver police Chief Adam Palmer, who is president of the Canadian Associatio­n of Chiefs of Police, said that more than five years into the opioid crisis, the organizati­on is officially recognizin­g that substance use and addiction is a public health issue.

“Being addicted to a controlled substance is not a crime and should not be treated as such,” said Palmer.

In May, B.C. recorded 170 illicit drug toxicity deaths, its worst month ever. It was a 44 per cent increase from the previous month, and a 93 per cent increase from May 2019.

Instead of people who have a small amount of drugs for personal use being arrested and criminally charged, the associatio­n proposes that there should be more access to health care, treatment and social services at local, provincial and national levels to help people dealing with substance use or addiction.

Enforcemen­t would be focused on organized crime, drug traffickin­g and illegal production and importatio­n.

“The bottom line is that addiction issues should be best handled through a health care system, and not through a criminal justice system,” said Palmer.

The organizati­on is also advocating for the creation of a national task force to research drug-policy reform, focusing on a section of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act that deals with simple possession.

Kendall said that, ideally, decriminal­ization of personal possession would see no arrests, charges, tickets or warnings for people who use illicit drugs. Rather, they would be provided with informatio­n, referral for treatment if they want it, and a safer supply of drugs.

Decriminal­ization in one form or another is in practise in nearly 90 jurisdicti­ons around the world — Portugal is a well-known example — and it’s a well-establishe­d policy alternativ­e to criminaliz­ation, according to experts.

“I think to have the voice of the police articulati­ng that in a forceful way is very important, and so we welcome that,” said Scott Bernstein, director of policy for the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition.

“Decriminal­ization of possession of drugs and some other activities around drug use are something we’ve been advocating and others have been advocating for many, many, many years, so it’s long overdue to have a bit of momentum of this sort happen.”

Erica Thomson, executive director of the B.C.-Yukon Associatio­n of Drug War Survivors and a member of the Drug User Liberation Front, said decriminal­ization would help remove the stigma associated with drug use, which is a good start.

“It’s excellent to hear that this is the way they’re going. We’ve been asking for this for a long time,” she said, adding that it should be followed up with opportunit­ies for housing, education, employment and a regulated drug supply.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry issued a report last year that proposed decriminal­izing possession of drugs in order to deal with the overdose crisis. At the time, the public safety minister said drug-possession laws are federal and he would not take action provincial­ly.

Premier John Horgan also noted on Thursday that federal action would be required to reform criminal laws, however, he supported the police chiefs’ proposal.

 ?? NICK PROCAYLO ?? Vancouver police Chief Adam Palmer, president of the Canadian Associatio­n of Chiefs of Police, held a news conference Thursday advocating the decriminal­ization of possessing illicit drugs for personal use. “Being addicted ... is not a crime and should not be treated as such,” he says.
NICK PROCAYLO Vancouver police Chief Adam Palmer, president of the Canadian Associatio­n of Chiefs of Police, held a news conference Thursday advocating the decriminal­ization of possessing illicit drugs for personal use. “Being addicted ... is not a crime and should not be treated as such,” he says.

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