Justin Trudeau Approach Differs from NDP and the Greens
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/03/18
According to The Georgia Straight, the Liberal Federal (Trudeau) government has been keeping on its path of a war on hard drugs, which contrasts with the approaches of the Greens and the NDP (Lupick, 2018).
The government of Canada will not consider the decriminalization of all drugs based on the opioid crisis throughout Canada, which killed about 4,000 people throughout the country last year. More than 80% of the 2017 deaths were linked to fentanyl.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is far more toxic than heroin. The advocates for decriminalization suggest the removal of criminal penalties for the personal possession of drugs. They argue that it would reduce the stigma and encourage those who have an addiction to seek treatment for the personal problem.
André Gagnon, a spokesperson for Health Canada, stated, “We are not looking to decriminalize or legalize all illegal drugs; but there are important steps we can take to treat problematic substance use as a public health issue—not as a criminal issue.”
Donald MacPherson, the Executive Director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, argues that people in the public are now beginning to understand that the opioid crisis is more serious than they have known before.
Mayor of Vancouver, Gregor Robertson, “We are witnessing a horrific and preventable loss of life as a poisoned drug supply continues to kill our neighbours, friends, and family… More action is urgently needed.”
MacPherson noticed that the NDP and Greens were supportive of the decriminalization while the Liberals will be debating the issue at a party convention in April.
“People are really beginning to understand that the crisis is demanding a more serious look at a more radical shift in our thinking,” MacPherson said, “Municipalities are starting to say, ‘Look, this isn’t working for us anymore.’”
He argues that with the discussion happening at such a large scale in the public, and increasingly more and more in the public, the federal Liberal government will have to look into potential for drug decriminalization.
References
Lupick, T. (2018, March 14). Trudeau government maintains its war on hard drugs as Greens and NDP consider alternatives. Retrieved from https://www.straight.com/news/1044336/trudeau government-maintains-its-war-hard-drugs-greens-and-ndp-consider-alternatives.
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