British Columbia’s decriminalisation of hard drugs, Portugal & Time will tell

[Contrarian]

On Jan. 31, B.C. will decriminalise personal-use quantities of heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and MDMA. Starting at the end of the month, possessing less than 2.5 grams of those drugs will no longer be illegal.

The criminal status of drugs is a federal responsibility, of course, but B.C. successfully obtained a two-year “time-limited exemption” to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

According to the province, the emergency measure is intended to “reduce the barriers and stigma” related to drug addiction in a bid to curb the province’s sky-high rates of overdose fatalities.

From articles I read in The Globe and Mail, National Post, CBC. 

Do you agree with such approach? This type of model is in Portugal with some results. Portugal decriminalised the public and private use, acquisition, and possession of all drugs in 2000; adopting an approach focused on public health rather than public-order priorities.

---> Aside from the stigma part, it most likely also costs more money to do the paperwork and host people for minor infractions, constantly the same customers probably. In the same time, is it possible this approach provides a gateway towards more criminality? Time will tell, I guess. 

Edited January 10 by Contrarian

[bcsapper]

Half measures.  If you want to solve the drug problem legalise everything, control it and sell it, and only to registered users.  Then don't register any new users.

[Aristides]

A big difference between here and Portugal is that while possessing drugs is no longer a criminal offence in Portugal, addicts must go through detox and rehab if caught. As usual, we are taking a half assed approach which will produce half assed results.

 

A big problem in BC is the absence of detox facilities and you can't rehab before you have detoxed. Basically we are asking homeless addicts living in tents surrounded by other addicts to detox on their own before we give them access to rehab. Anyone who could pull that off is a hell of a lot stronger than me.

Edited January 10 by Aristides

[Contrarian]

1 hour ago, Aristides said:

Basically we are asking homeless addicts living in tents surrounded by other addicts to detox on their own before we give them access to rehab. Anyone who could pull that off is a hell of a lot stronger than me.

I am what you consider a heavy drinker, when I quit temporarily the alcohol (is a drug too) 50 days ago, I do this a few times a year, at least try, the few days of the process is terrible. 

If I did not have the means to hide myself at different places, quiet places to begin this process and have proper food / environment to work out. There is no way I could have managed to quit, not possible.

To be in tents, surrounded by violence, I would 100% be drinking more and join the party.

I agree with your point. If these detox places are not provided, it does little to address the main problem.

Edited January 10 by Contrarian

[herbie]

9 hours ago, Contrarian said:

On Jan. 31, B.C. will decriminalise personal-use quantities of heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and MDMA. Starting at the end of the month, possessing less than 2.5 grams of those drugs will no longer be illegal.

BC will stop enforcing the federal laws that make them still illegal to possess. Only Ottawa can decriminalize.
But you've pointed out the problem - detox and rehab. I know of too many druggies and winos that hit rock bottom, wind up detoxing in remand awaiting trial and go right back on the street or volunteer for rehab to comply with conditions simply to get healthy enough to return to the street.

Addicts must want to rehab, and put in the effort or it won't work. Often they're too conditioned by their life experience to believe they can even try.