Decriminalizing drugs for personal use would help people find help, keep jobs: Sask. advocate
Advocates are asking the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners to support the decriminalization of drug possession for personal use.
Marie Agioritis and others have penned letters to the police board, which is meeting Thursday, asking them to consider this step towards changing laws around drug possession.
Agioritis, the Saskatchewan leader for Moms Stop the Harm, told CTV News that decriminalization could help alleviate the pressures felt by the criminal justice system and give those with mental health issues and addictions a chance to seek help.
“When we decriminalize simple possession we haven’t got people running away from the police or being afraid to walk into an emergency room when they need help, or being afraid to walk into recovery services,” Agioritis said.
“Imagine you’re a young guy and you’re afraid to go forward because you could lose your job or you might lose certain benefits as a result,” Agioritis said.
Those caught with drugs for personal use are tagged with a criminal record after an arrest and that could make it almost impossible to find employment she said.
She said mental health and addictions span across all age ranges and backgrounds.
“We need to quit criminalizing them because it’s not working, the deaths are going up, the crime rates are going up and the stress on our police officers is going up. We need to change it up,” she said.
The board issued a notice of motion calling on city police to look at evidence-based approaches to expanded harm reductions in other jurisdictions.
Those include decriminalization, safe supply and increased diversion of drug-related charges that could improve the drug crisis in Saskatoon.
In November, Vancouver City Council unanimously voted to decriminalize simple drug possession.
Saskatoon police Chief Troy Cooper said the motion will be discussed and voted on in August. Cooper added it’s important the police service along with its partners look at how it shifts drug possession from the criminal justice system to healthcare.
Cooper mentioned his office has received memos from public prosecutions to focus more attention on larger drug trafficking offences rather than simple drug possession, but charges still fall on simple possession if there are other criminal elements involved.
“If it was a simple solution it would be something that can happen quickly but we recognize that you can’t just simply decriminalize drug possession without having some other solution in place,” Cooper said.
The police board heard how the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police is already endorsing a federal criminal code amendment for simple possession.
The federal New Democratic Party has also tabled a bill in Ottawa that would decriminalize an array of drugs as well as give Canadians the opportunity to clear criminal record convictions for drug possession.
Agioritis wants Saskatoon police to show its support to Ottawa favouring simple possession decriminalization.
The board received the letters as information.
Mayor Charlie Clark posted to his social media this week voicing his support for a similar decriminalization proposal happening in Vancouver.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.