Toronto’s proposal to decriminalise ordinary drug possession denied by Canadians

The Canadian government has said no to Toronto’s request to make having small amounts of drugs not a crime because they don’t think it will keep people safe and healthy.

“Minister Saks said she has concerns about whether the police can make the new plan work, if it will keep young people safe, and if important people in the government of Ontario will support it. ”

Ottawa decided to change its mind the day after the Ontario government asked the city to stop the request. The Ontario government thinks the request is a bad idea.

Health Minister Sylvia Jones and the province’s Solicitor General Michael Kerzner wrote a letter to Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s medical officer of health, saying that the province will not support the request made to Health Canada in early 2022 for an exception to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Premier Doug Ford said again that his government will not support the request. He wrote a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday, asking Ottawa to stop approving new safe supply sites.

“We told Toronto Public Health that we don’t and will never support their request to make illegal drugs legal,” Ford said. “We officially confirm to the government that we completely disagree with their proposal. ”

Ford and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre both said they don’t think the prime minister should agree to Toronto’s request.

Toronto’s request to decriminalize drugs gained attention again after British Columbia requested to make the use of certain drugs illegal in public spaces, because there were problems with a previous exemption order.

Drde Villa said on Friday that since decriminalization is not an option anymore, it’s important to invest in other evidence-based solutions.

She said the province needs to provide more money and make it easier for people to get different kinds of treatments to help with the drug problem.

De Villa told CP24 that her request is based on the best medical advice for the health of the public. “By the end of the day, I’ll keep working as a doctor to offer advice, but it’s up to the elected officials to make the decisions,” she said.

On Friday, she said she supports Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow’s idea to work together with all levels of government to tackle the “complicated problem. ”

Toronto Public Health is ready and wants to work with others to find ways to help with this important and urgent health problem, de Villa stated.

Before the government made a decision on Friday, Chow wrote a letter asking all levels of government to work together to fight the opioid crisis.

She said they should have a Crisis Centre open all the time, more treatment options for substance use, homes for people with many needs, and more things to help.

“I think that by offering more treatment choices, we can greatly lessen the harmful effects of drug toxicity in Toronto and Ontario,” Chow wrote.

She also said, “We all believe that it is very important to get more treatment. ”

Chow said that the debate about decriminalization doesn’t matter unless people struggling with drug addiction have the right housing and treatment they need.