Police chiefs call on federal government to decriminalize possession of illicit drugs for personal use
Peter Zimonjic
CBC
July 9th, 2020
Peter Zimonjic
CBC
July 9th, 2020
Read the full story here.As Canada continues to battle an opioid epidemic, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police is calling on federal lawmakers to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of illegal drugs for personal consumption.
CACP's president, Chief Constable Adam Palmer, said it's time to rethink how police and governments approach the use and abuse of illegal drugs in order to save lives.
"Arresting individuals for simple possession of illicit drugs has proven to be ineffective. It does not save lives," Palmer said. "The CACP recognizes substance use and addiction as a public health issue. Being addicted to a controlled substance is not a crime and should not be treated as such.