Donate

Author: Canadian Drug Policy Coalition

  • OPEN LETTER: Civil society organizations renew call for drug decriminalization

    OPEN LETTER: Civil society organizations renew call for drug decriminalization

    chiefs of police call for decriminalization, chiefs of police call for decriminalization

    Download PDF

    Yesterday, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) released a report calling for an end to the criminalization of simple drug possession (i.e. possession for personal use). Police chiefs across the country “agree the evidence suggests, and numerous Canadian health leaders support, decriminalization for simple possession as an effective way to reduce the public health and public safety harms associated with substance use.” The report affirms that a “compelling case” has been made for “transformative change” to Canada’s current approach to drug possession. We welcome this important acknowledgement by law enforcement and urge the federal government to decriminalize now.

    Support for change is growing. Public health experts and civil society organizations across the country have long called for drug decriminalization. Now the CACP has publicly added its voice to the call to end the criminalization of simple possession. The way forward is clear: We need full decriminalization that leaves behind any and all criminal sanctions and other penalties for the offence of possession.

    Our current system of criminalization causes myriad harms to public health and to racialized communities, including the over policing and prosecution of Black and Indigenous communities. Criminalization is rooted in, and also drives, stigma and racism. This is wrong and must end.

    In Canada, there is a simple and immediate remedy to the harms of punitive drug policy. Federal Minister of Health Patty Hajdu can effectively decriminalize simple drug possession by granting a nation-wide exemption from this offence under section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. There is no need, nor any excuse, for delay, particularly amid unprecedented overdose deaths. We call for greater investment in health services, including culturally sensitive harm reduction and treatment options, and for action to ensure a safer supply of drugs than the toxic illegal market. But these measures must happen in addition to — not instead of — immediate decriminalization. We can and must remove all penalties, whether criminal, administrative, or other, for simple drug possession now.

  • Medications and clinical approaches to support physical distancing for PWUD

    Medications and clinical approaches to support physical distancing for PWUD

    physical distancing for people who use drugs, physical distancing for people who use drugs

    Download PDF

    Click HERE for more resources

    “This document is one in a series of six national guidance documents, developed rapidly by the CRISM network at the request of the Government of Canada. Collectively, the six documents address urgent needs of people who use substances, service providers, and decision makers in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. The urgent nature of this work required rapid development and dissemination of this guidance. This, and the continuing evolution of the knowledge base regarding COVID-19, precluded CRISM from conducting a comprehensive review of the relevant literature. However, a significant number of works were consulted in drafting this guidance; a list of works consulted is provided in Appendix 1: Works Consulted on page 31.

    The guidance provided in this document is subject to change as new information becomes available. Readers should note that the intent of this document is to provide general guidance rather than detailed procedural and logistical advice. Readers are advised to consult local public health and medical authorities for specific input on navigating their own unique regulatory and policy environments, as necessary.”

    Source: CRISM

  • Supporting people who use drugs in acute care settings during COVID-19

    Supporting people who use drugs in acute care settings during COVID-19

    supporting people who use drugs in acute care, supporting people who use drugs in acute care

    Download PDF

    Click HERE for more resources

    “This document is one of a series of six national guidance documents, rapidly developed by the CRISM network at the request of the Government of Canada. Collectively, the six documents address urgent needs of people who use drugs, service providers, and decision makers in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. The urgent nature of this work required rapid development and dissemination of this guidance. This, and the continuing evolution of the knowledge base regarding COVID-19, precluded CRISM from conducting a comprehensive review of the relevant literature. However, when available, scientific evidence is cited in support of the expert advice offered herein.

    The guidance provided in this document is subject to change as new information becomes available. Readers should note that the intent of this document is to provide general guidance rather than detailed procedural and logistical advice. Readers are advised to consult local Public Health and medical authorities for specific input on navigating their own unique regulatory and policy environments, as necessary.”

    Source: CRISM

  • Bill 22 directly undermines the public health, safety, and rights of youth who use drugs

    Bill 22 directly undermines the public health, safety, and rights of youth who use drugs

    Bill 22 letter, bill 22 letter

    Download PDF

    We write with urgency regarding Bill 22 – 2020: Mental Health Amendment Act, introduced in the Legislative Assembly of BC last week and scheduled for second reading on July 6, 2020. As BC-based organizations whose mandates include furthering evidence-based drug policy and ending the harms of drug prohibition, Pivot Legal Society and the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition (CDPC) urge you to do everything in your power to stop the passage of Bill 22 into law.

    Bill 22 directly undermines the public health, safety, and rights of youth who use drugs. It rolls back BC’s progress in responding to the ongoing opioid crisis, particularly during increased public health risks due to COVID-19 that have exacerbated the impact of a poisoned drug supply. As BC’s Chief Coroner already brought to your attention, “there is the potential for serious unintended consequences as a result of [Bill 22’s] legislative amendments, including the potential for an increase in fatalities.” Pivot and CDPC echo this caution and offer additional context for the health harms that Bill 22 would present, if enacted…” [Read More]

  • Reducing COVID-19 Spread in Recovery Programs & Treatment Services

    Reducing COVID-19 Spread in Recovery Programs & Treatment Services

    reducing COVID-19 transmission in recovery and treatment programs, reducing COVID-19 transmission in recovery and treatment programs

    Download PDF

    Click HERE for more resources

    “This document is one in a series of six national guidance documents, developed rapidly by the CRISM network at the request of the Government of Canada. Collectively, the six documents address urgent needs of people who use substances, service providers, and decision makers in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. The urgent nature of this work required rapid development and dissemination of this guidance. This, and the continuing evolution of the knowledge base regarding COVID-19, precluded CRISM from conducting a comprehensive review of the relevant literature.

    The guidance provided in this document is subject to change as new information becomes available. Readers should note that the intent of this document is to provide general guidance rather than detailed procedural and logistical advice. Readers are advised to consult local public health and medical authorities for specific input on navigating their own unique regulatory and policy environments, as necessary.”

    Source: CRISM

  • Telemedicine support for addiction services

    Telemedicine support for addiction services

    telemedicine support for addiction services, telemedicine support for addiction services

    Download PDF

    Click HERE for more resources

    “This document is one of a series of six national guidance documents, rapidly developed by the CRISM network at the request of the Government of Canada. Collectively, the six documents address urgent needs of people who use substances, service providers, and decision makers in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. The urgent nature of this work required rapid development and dissemination of this guidance. This, and the continuing evolution of the knowledge base regarding COVID-19, precluded CRISM from conducting a comprehensive review of the relevant literature. However, when available, scientific evidence is cited in support of the expert advice offered herein.

    The guidance provided in this document is subject to change as new information becomes available. Readers should note that the intent of this document is to provide general guidance rather than detailed procedural and logistical advice. Readers are advised to consult local public health and medical authorities for specific input on navigating their own unique regulatory and policy environments, as necessary.”

    Source: CRISM

  • Expanded Response Options to Opioid Harms: Case Study from Four Cities

    Expanded Response Options to Opioid Harms: Case Study from Four Cities

    CCSA case study, CCSA case study

    Download PDF

    Click HERE for more resources

    “Canada is facing an urgent challenge to reduce the harms associated
    with the problematic use of opioids. More than 14,700 lives were lost to deaths apparently related to opioids between January 2016 and September 2019. During that same period, there were 19,490 hospitalizations for poisoning related opioid to opioids (Special Advisory Committee on the Epidemic of Opioid Overdoses, 2019). The COVID-19 pandemic compounds this ongoing public health crisis. There is a heightened need to reduce avoidable pressures on healthcare systems and support people who use opioids who may be at increased risk or unable to self-isolate during the pandemic.”

    Source: Canadian Centre on Substance Use

  • Harm Reduction and COVID-19 Guidance for Service Providers

    Harm Reduction and COVID-19 Guidance for Service Providers

    Alberta health services covid guidance, Alberta health services covid guidance

    Download PDF

    Click HERE for more resources

    “This guidance document for community service providers was prepared by the Alberta Health Services (AHS) Harm Reduction Services Team in partnership with the Alberta Community Council on HIV (ACCH). It covers information on how community services may alter harm reduction practices during the COVID-19 pandemic with the goal of reducing the spread of COVID-19. This information can also be used by service providers to communicate information and education on reducing spread of COVID-19 while maintaining health and wellness along the spectrum of substance use.”

  • Decriminalizing drugs and the path towards defunding police

    Decriminalizing drugs and the path towards defunding police

    With global protests igniting around the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, calls to defund police are growing louder. For some, this may seem like an extreme proposition, but as the history of drug policy in Canada and globally has shown, the criminalization of drugs—and millions poured into police budgets to enforce associated laws—have fueled some of the greatest harms to society.

    This interview by Black Lives Matter Toronto co-founder, Sandy Hudson, articulates the clear logic around defunding police and what that means: reallocated funds more intelligently and eliminating from police control those roles they are now performing that cause serious community-level harm, and getting other more capable organizations to carry out those activities. Social development is key to creating healthier and safer communities. We believe it would make society safer by reallocating resources into vital social programs—like housing and employment services—that would do a better job in creating safety for everyone.

    The significant resources pouring into enforcing inhumane drug laws that criminalize the possession of controlled substances for personal use is one of many areas in the purview of police that should be defunded. There is a mountain of evidence showing that criminalizing people who use drugs is extremely harmful. Currently amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the criminalization of drugs forces people to consume substances in isolation and engage in survival strategies that increase their risk of fatal overdose.

    The millions we spend on criminalizing drug use could instead be funnelled into harm reduction and drug treatment programs that have been proven to save lives and build community, rather than fuel harm. Police themselves have said that they “cannot arrest their way out of the overdose crisis.” The cost in taxpayer dollars, but more importantly human lives, could be reduced by moving away from policing in this area as has been done in other countries.

    (Photo credit: Peter Kim | National Day of Action on the Overdose Crisis | 2018)

    BC’s chief medical health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, recently lauded for her pandemic response by the New York Times, has called for the decriminalization of drugs. And this policy shift has been echoed by other leading health experts across Canada. This same shrinking of scope and defunding of budgets is possible in other areas of policing where public health and safety are being adversely impacted by police involvement, such as mental health calls.

    The amazing efforts and courage of Black-led advocacy groups have pushed this issue to the forefront of our collective consciousness at a time when the world is on the cusp of transformative change. In addition to amplifying the messages and calls for change of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, we can play an important role by supporting its efforts on the ground to ensure this pivotal moment in history bends towards justice.

    Please consider donating to Black Lives Matter Toronto or the Black Legal Action Centre to ensure the movement for change continues. 

    Donate to Black Lives Matter Toronto
    Donate to the Black Legal Action Centre

    Stimulus Connect #3 is happening June 26. RSVP here.

    Drug decriminalization and defunding the police Drug decriminalization and defunding the police Drug decriminalization and defunding the police