British Columbia becomes first province in Canada to decriminalize heroin, fentanyl, cocaine

[el midgetron]

One of the largest provinces in Canada is moving forward with a plan to become the first province in the country to decriminalize several hard drugs.

Starting on Tuesday, residents of British Columbia who are older than 18 will be allowed to carry up to 2.5 grams of drugs such as cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine and morphine, the BBC reported.

British Columbia was granted permission by the government to try out the plan for three years, when the drugs will still be illegal but those carrying less than 2.5 grams will not be arrested, charged or have the drugs confiscated. 

Instead, residents carrying the drugs will be offered information on health and social services.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/british-columbia-becomes-first-province-canada-decriminalize-heroin-fentanyl-cocaine-other-hard-drugs

[Tatetopa]

Way to go @acidhead!

[Likely Guy]

19 minutes ago, el midgetron said:

Instead, residents carrying the drugs will be offered information on health and social services.

If that saves even just a few lives it'll be worth it but I don't think that'll do much to curtail the drug deaths that much (2,272 last year in B.C.).

[spartan max2]

Worth noting because people sometimes get it confused. Decriminalized vs legalize.

Decriminalized, like in OP,  means it's not punishable if you have below a certain amount of the substance. Dealing and trafficking the drugs are still illegal though.

[acidhead]

1 hour ago, Tatetopa said:

Way to go @acidhead!

FTR, I have never taken LSD in my life! The letters in the word 'acid' are the initials to my real name.  ACID is my name acronym. 

 

[acidhead]

"2.5 grams of heroin and fentanyl" 

I hope people understand that those two killer drugs are sold in points. 

The dealers and traffickers we're just given the green light to do business in broad daylight. 

I predict, and I don't like making predictions, the death toll is going to skyrocket.

Sad.

[+OverSword]

This is only okay as long as they greatly increase funding on treatments and interventions and crack down on dealers.  Take it from someone who lives in a city that decriminalized all that stuff, BC is probably about to go to shi+ 

 

Edited January 31 by OverSword

[spartan max2]

38 minutes ago, acidhead said:

"2.5 grams of heroin and fentanyl" 

I hope people understand that those two killer drugs are sold in points. 

The dealers and traffickers we're just given the green light to do business in broad daylight. 

I predict, and I don't like making predictions, the death toll is going to skyrocket.

Sad.

I thought you were a libertarian ?

[+and-then]

2 hours ago, Likely Guy said:

If that saves even just a few lives it'll be worth it but I don't think that'll do much to curtail the drug deaths that much (2,272 last year in B.C.).

In U.S. jurisdictions with similar laws, the result has been MORE fatalities, not fewer.    There was another story out of Canada recently about euthensia being offered to people whose medical problems had nothing to do with a terminal illness.  This new move will help accomplish getting those numbers up.

[Bavarian Raven]

2 hours ago, Tatetopa said:

Way to go @acidhead!

If you want crime to continue to rise, sure.
And before you bring up Portugal, remember, they have a good drug rehab program. We dont. :/

[+susieice]

Here they just kicked off a big campaign to warn youth about the dangers of Fentanyl. Just a minute amount is all it takes and can be fatal to even just touch it. They estimate 4 in 10 pills on the street contain a lethal dose. Good luck!

https://www.wfmz.com/news/weekday-newsletter-headlines/69-news-at-6-00---northampton-county-launches-fentanyl-awareness-campaign/article_9647ec19-1fff-5948-821d-c37a4d20be5e.html

 

[jmccr8]

1 hour ago, OverSword said:

This is only okay as long as they greatly increase funding on treatments and interventions and crack down on dealers.  Take it from someone who lives in a city that decriminalized all that stuff, BC is probably about to go to shi+ 

 

Hi OverSword

BC has been point of entry for more than 40 years for west coast regions including the US for drug shipments. Likely the increase of deaths will be due to new people moving there from other provinces because of decriminalization.

[spartan max2]

44 minutes ago, and-then said:

In U.S. jurisdictions with similar laws, the result has been MORE fatalities, not fewer.    There was another story out of Canada recently about euthensia being offered to people whose medical problems had nothing to do with a terminal illness.  This new move will help accomplish getting those numbers up.

You have stats for that?

In Ohio drugs have been plenty illegal and we've still had worsened overdose drug problems the last decade 

Edited February 1 by spartan max2

[+OverSword]

38 minutes ago, jmccr8 said:

Hi OverSword

BC has been point of entry for more than 40 years for west coast regions including the US for drug shipments. Likely the increase of deaths will be due to new people moving there from other provinces because of decriminalization.

Who said anything about deaths? Although that will increase too.  

Edited February 1 by OverSword

[+OverSword]

1 hour ago, spartan max2 said:

I thought you were a libertarian ?

Libertarians don't want decriminalization, they want legalization.  Legalize, regulate, all that stuff.  That's how you end overdoses because the drugs are better quality.  That's how you reduce crime because criminals aren't running the industry.  That's how you increase people getting off drugs because there is less stigma attached to getting help.  Ending alcohol prohibition proved all of that.

[+OverSword]

24 minutes ago, spartan max2 said:

You have stats for that?

That would seem to be borne out in Seattle where we've already done this the wrong way.

[spartan max2]

1 minute ago, OverSword said:

That would seem to be borne out in Seattle where we've already done this the wrong way.

I've seen the stats for states like Oregon. After decriminalization overdose deaths rose. But the thing is in the same time period, where I live in Ohio overdose deaths also rose and we haven't decriminalized anything. 

Fentanyl problem seemed to increase deaths everywhere regardless of criminal or not criminal status.

As for your other post I agree. Make it all legal. 

 

[jmccr8]

8 minutes ago, OverSword said:

Who said anything about deaths? Although that will increase too.  

Hi OverSword

No you didn’t say deaths and should have included increased drug use/sales would likely be because of more people moving there because for the same reason 

[Tatetopa]

2 hours ago, acidhead said:

FTR, I have never taken LSD in my life!

Sorry to hear that.  But hey, its OK if that is what you want.

[+OverSword]

49 minutes ago, spartan max2 said:

I've seen the stats for states like Oregon. After decriminalization overdose deaths rose. But the thing is in the same time period, where I live in Ohio overdose deaths also rose and we haven't decriminalized anything. 

Fentanyl problem seemed to increase deaths everywhere regardless of criminal or not criminal status.

As for your other post I agree. Make it all legal. 

 

It’s more than OD’s. It’s safety and cleanliness.  When police are discouraged from policing everything turns to crap. My state also has a genius policy against police pursuing suspects in most cases. On the news this morning they announced over 3000 vehicles have simply driven off when the police pulled them over. They never get caught because they do this in stolen vehicles. That policy and those numbers  I don’t think are unrelated regardless of crime going up elsewhere. 

Edited February 1 by OverSword

[+OverSword]

47 minutes ago, jmccr8 said:

Hi OverSword

No you didn’t say deaths and should have included increased drug use/sales would likely be because of more people moving there because for the same reason 

True. In BC that may very well happen. Here we make sure that people have cell phones and access to three meals a day. There are empty beds every night here because you can’t get high in the shelters so we don’t necessarily have a homeless problem it’s really more of an addiction problem and mental health problem. I haven’t been to Vancouver for a few years so I’m not sure how bad it is now but it’s going to get worse.

[+OverSword]

40 minutes ago, Tatetopa said:

Sorry to hear that.  But hey, its OK if that is what you want.

Everyone should do it twice a year throughout their twenties 

[+susieice]

2 hours ago, susieice said:

Here they just kicked off a big campaign to warn youth about the dangers of Fentanyl. Just a minute amount is all it takes and can be fatal to even just touch it. They estimate 4 in 10 pills on the street contain a lethal dose. Good luck!

https://www.wfmz.com/news/weekday-newsletter-headlines/69-news-at-6-00---northampton-county-launches-fentanyl-awareness-campaign/article_9647ec19-1fff-5948-821d-c37a4d20be5e.html

 

This is a way better article.

https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/northampton-county/2023/01/fake-is-real-fentanyl-awareness-campaign-launched-by-northampton-county.html

[jmccr8]

2 minutes ago, OverSword said:

True. In BC that may very well happen. Here we make sure that people have cell phones and access to three meals a day. There are empty beds every night here because you can’t get high in the shelters so we don’t necessarily have a homeless problem it’s really more of an addiction problem and mental health problem. I haven’t been to Vancouver for a few years so I’m not sure how bad it is now but it’s going to get worse.

Hi OverSword

I was in Vancouver in 1972 and that was enough for me to never go back. Thought I would sight see and saw plenty of trembling addicts and hustlers in gastown, then decided to go out for a drink on another time and every place I went cops and paddy wagons were showing up at pubs I went to and never finish my drink in the 3 pubs I went to because the cops chased everyone out. I didn’t know the town so didn’t really know where to go for a nice quote time so never went back as it gave me a bad impression. Because of the mild winters as lot of addicts moved there and Victoria as the lived in the streets.

I did enjoy a couple of neighbours and the botanical gardens but not enough to want to go back there unless I had a wait over for a flight and never left the airport.

Am in Kelowna right now as I got called in to install TVs at the hotel here and will be coming back 4 more times to do some more work as renovations are completed. I will drive for the rest of those trips as airports are boring. At least in my car I can smoke, blast the tunes and get something decent to eat when I want.

 

[acidhead]

8 hours ago, spartan max2 said:

I thought you were a libertarian ?

Yes, I am Libertarian. I never said I disagree with the new rules just that the new legislation is more than likely going to result in more deaths from overdose. And it is, indeed, sad.  Hopefully people will see this as an opportunity or a lesson to stay away from putting that stuff in their body.