Langevin Block
\nOttawa, Ontario
\nK1A\u00a00A2<\/p>\n
October 19, 2021<\/p>\n
Dear Prime Minister:<\/p>\n
RE: Prioritizing Drug Policy for Incoming Cabinet Members<\/b><\/p>\n
As you well know, almost 23,000 people have died from an opioid overdose between January 2016 and March 2021<\/b>, fueled by a contaminated drug supply and the stigma associated with drug use that is reinforced by the criminalization of drugs and of people who use them. Each day that goes by under a regime of criminal prohibition is a day in which government policy contributes to the often-deadly stigma surrounding drug use. The time to decriminalize drugs is long overdue.<\/p>\n
Public support for drug decriminalization is growing.<\/b> Earlier this year, a nationwide poll found close to 60 per cent of respondents and a majority in every province favoured removing criminal penalties for personal drug possession. Last year, almost 200 organizations Canada-wide supported a call to key ministers in the federal government to immediately decriminalize simple drug possession.<\/p>\n
In the weeks preceding the recent election, the Liberal Party of Canada stated that a \u201cre-elected Liberal government will continue to take an evidence-based approach to problematic substance use so that Canadians have access to the care and support they need.\u201d As the leader of a newly elected federal government, you have a chance to make a difference. <\/b><\/p>\n
We urge you to prioritize evidence-based drug policy in your new mandate, and to include drug policy reform in the mandates of your new Cabinet,<\/b> including the mandates of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, the Minister of Health, and the Minister of Public Safety, and given the disproportionate impact of punitive drug policy on Indigenous Peoples, the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, and the Minister of Indigenous Services Canada. At minimum, their mandate letters should include a commitment to:<\/b><\/p>\n
\u2022 Immediately decriminalize drug possession across Canada and eliminate all criminal sanctions and penalties related to drug use, in consultation with people who use drugs; and<\/b><\/p>\n
\u2022 Clear support for and resources to facilitate nationwide, low-barrier access to safe supply.<\/strong><\/p>\n There is no time to waste, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exacerbate the ongoing public health crises of drug toxicity injuries and deaths, on top of the still unresolved HIV and HCV pandemics, among other harms.<\/p>\n Yours sincerely,<\/p>\n Association des intervenants en d\u00e9pendance du Qu\u00e9bec (AIDQ)<\/p>\n Canadian Association of People who Use Drugs\/ Association canadienne des personnes qui utilisent des drogues<\/p>\n Canadian Drug Policy Coalition\/ Coalition Canadienne des politiques sur les drogues<\/p>\n HIV Legal Network\/ R\u00e9seau juridique VIH<\/p>\n <\/p>\n List of Signatories (UPDATED OCTOBER 27, 2021):<\/b><\/p>\n Action Hepatitis Canada\/ Action h\u00e9patites Canada<\/p>\n Adojeune<\/p>\n AIDS Committee of Durham Region\/ Le Comit\u00e9 du SIDA de la r\u00e9gion de Durham<\/p>\n AIDS New Brunswick\/ SIDA Nouveau-Brunswick<\/p>\n AIDS Committee of Newfoundland and Labrador<\/p>\n AlterH\u00e9ros<\/p>\n Association qu\u00e9b\u00e9coise des centres d’intervention en d\u00e9pendance (L\u2019AQCID)<\/p>\n Association qu\u00e9b\u00e9coise pour la promotion de la sant\u00e9 des personnes utilisatrices de AVI Health and Community Services\/ AVI Services de sant\u00e9 et communautaires<\/p>\n BC Civil Liberties Association\/ Association des libert\u00e9s civiles de la Colombie-Britannique<\/p>\n Butterfly (Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network)<\/p>\n CACTUS Montr\u00e9al<\/p>\n Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies\/ Association canadienne des soci\u00e9t\u00e9s Elizabeth Fry<\/p>\n Canadian Association of Social Workers\/ Association canadienne des travailleuses et travailleurs sociaux<\/p>\n Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy\/ \u00c9tudiant.es canadien.es pour les politiques \u00e9clair\u00e9es sur les substances psychoactives<\/p>\n CATIE<\/p>\n Centre associatif polyvalent d\u2019aide h\u00e9patite C (CAPAHC)<\/p>\n Centre d’intervention le Rond-Point<\/p>\n Centre des\u00a0R.O.S.\u00c9.S.de l’Abitibi-T\u00e9miscamingue<\/p>\n Centre le S.P.O.T.<\/p>\n Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation<\/p>\n Coalition des organismes communautaires qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois de lutte contre le sida (COCQ-SIDA)<\/p>\n Confronting the Stigma of Drug Addiction<\/p>\n Criminalization and Punishment Education Project\/ Projet de sensibilisation sur la criminalisation et la sanction<\/p>\n The Dispensary Community Health Centre\/ Le DISPENSAIRE – Centre de sant\u00e9 communautaire<\/p>\n Doctors of the World Canada\/ M\u00e9decins du Monde Canada<\/p>\n Dopamine<\/p>\n Drug User Liberation Front<\/p>\n EACH+EVERY: Businesses for Harm Reduction\/ EACH+EVERY: Entreprises pour la r\u00e9duction des m\u00e9faits<\/p>\n East Kootenary Network & Society of People Who Use Drugs<\/p>\n \u00c9lixir<\/p>\n Groupe d\u2019entraide \u00e0 l\u2019intention des personnes s\u00e9ropositives et itinerants (GEIPSI)<\/p>\n Groupe de recherche et d\u2019intervention psychosociale (GRIP)<\/p>\n Groupe Harmonie<\/p>\n Hamilton Community Legal Clinic\/ Clinique juridique communautaire de Hamilton<\/p>\n HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO)<\/p>\n Institut universitaire sur les d\u00e9pendances (IUD)<\/p>\n IRIS Estrie<\/p>\n John Howard Society of Simcoe & Muskoka\/ Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 John Howard de Simcoe et Muskoka<\/p>\n Ligue des droits et libert\u00e9s<\/p>\n Logis Phare<\/p>\n M\u00e9ta d\u2019\u00c2me<\/p>\n Moms Stop the Harm (MSTH)<\/p>\n Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies Canada<\/p>\n National Association of Women and the Law\/ Association nationale Femmes et Droit<\/p>\n Northreach Society<\/p>\n Ottawa Inner City Health<\/p>\n PAN – Pacific AIDS Network<\/p>\n Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre<\/p>\n PASAN<\/p>\n PHS Community Services Society<\/p>\n Pozitive Pathways Community Services<\/p>\n Prisoners\u2019 Legal Services<\/p>\n R\u00e9seau SOLIDARIT\u00c9 itin\u00e9rance du Qu\u00e9bec<\/p>\n (R\u00c9)SO 16-35<\/p>\n R\u00c9ZO, sant\u00e9 et mieux-\u00eatre des hommes gais et bisexuels, cis et trans<\/p>\n Ryan’s Hope\/ L’espoir de Ryan<\/p>\n Sandy Hill Community Health Centre\/ Centre de sant\u00e9 communautaire C\u00f4te-de-Sable<\/p>\n School of Social Work, Universit\u00e9 du Qu\u00e9bec \u00e0 Montr\u00e9al (UQ\u00c0M) \/ \u00c9cole de travail social, Universit\u00e9 du Qu\u00e9bec \u00e0 Montr\u00e9al (UQ\u00c0M)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Shining Waters Regional Council<\/p>\n Somerset West Community Health Centre\/ Centre de sant\u00e9 communautaire Somerset Ouest<\/p>\n South Riverdale Community Health Centre<\/p>\n Table des organismes communautaires montr\u00e9alais de lutte contre le sida (TOMS)<\/p>\n Toronto Prisoners\u2019 Rights Project<\/p>\n Walgwan Center\/Centre Walgwan<\/p>\n
\ndrogues (AQPSUD)<\/p>\n