cover image: Please tell the Committee a bit about yourself, whether you are submitting this form as an individual or on behalf of an organization, and any other relevant information.

20.500.12592/36bc9m

Please tell the Committee a bit about yourself, whether you are submitting this form as an individual or on behalf of an organization, and any other relevant information.

3 May 2023

What actions should government take to address the ongoing overdose and drug toxicity crisis? Recommendations • The government should use all legal and intergovernmental powers to decriminalize all drug possession for personal use, as well as the sharing or selling of drugs for subsistence, to support personal drug use costs, or to provide a safe supply. [...] • Redistribute resources from the enforcement of these harmful drug laws to non-coercive, voluntary policies, programs, and services that protect and promote people’s health and human rights, including health, education, housing, and social services that support people who use drugs, have been released from prison or are incarcerated due to conviction for drug-related offences, and promote the saf. [...] Criminalizing drug use impedes people’s access to health and social services and emergency care in the case of overdose, as well as contributing to new HIV and hepatitis C infections. [...] 4 What should be done to address the harm done by the increasingly toxic and unpredictable illicit supply of drugs? Recommendations Increase access to a safe supply of pharmaceutical grade opioids through continued support of “prescriber based models” and the removal of barriers imposed by regulated health professional colleges. [...] A medicalized model on its own is not sufficient to deliver safer supply to all who need it.” To increase access to a safe supply of drugs under the prescribed drugs model, we urge you to follow the recommendations made by VANDU and BCAPOM about supporting the prescribing of opioid antagonist treatments and fentanyl, heroin, etc.

Authors

Leila Toledo

Pages
5
Published in
Canada