In the Canadian province of British Columbia, located in the southwest of the country, the possession of small doses of some strong drugs for personal use has been made legal.
They decided on a bold experiment in Canada. It is assumed that for three years – until January 31, 2026 – police officers in the province of British Columbia will not punish people found in possession of no more than 2.5 grams of these substances. The drugs won’t even be taken. Instead, the person is told where they can get help to cope with the addiction. At the same time, decriminalization does not mean legalization: the possession of more than 2.5 grams or the sale of hard drugs in Canada is still prohibited.
Overdose resistance
British Columbia’s government has cited decriminalization as one of the ways to tackle the barriers that prevent people with drug addiction from seeking support and starting treatment. “Decriminalization breaks down the fear and shame associated with substance use and makes it safer for you to seek life-saving help,” said BC Minister for Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside.
In the past seven years, approximately 32,000 drug overdoses have been recorded in Canada. More than 11,000 occurred in British Columbia.
The province is a pioneer in implementing measures to reduce harm from drug use. In Vancouver, the largest city in the province, in the late 1980s, Canada’s first needle and syringe exchange program began. And in 2003, the city opened the first place in North America for so-called controlled injections. There, people with drug addiction can take a dose under the supervision of health workers and receive medical care – but not buy drugs.
Not sure if this will work
However, the idea of decriminalization has many critics. Why might decriminalization not work? First, because in British Columbia there is no longer a de facto penalty for small doses of hard drugs for personal use, and in Vancouver this unspoken rule has been in place for at least 10 years, but it hasn’t helped in solving the crisis with overdose deaths.
Second, supporters of decriminalization refer to the experience of Portugal, which in 2001 was the first in the world to allow the possession and use of any type of drug. But this policy was accompanied by a harsh crackdown on illegal drug dealers. British Columbia does not plan to take such steps.
The American state of Oregon began a similar experiment in 2020, where people found with small doses of hard drugs risk a maximum $100 fine, but it can also be canceled if someone calls a helpline for people with drug addiction. In the first year after decriminalization, the police recorded about two thousand cases of possession of hard drugs, but only 92 of those who saw them called the hotline and only 19 asked for further help.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.