Kanada. Decriminalizing hard drugs in B.C. will help reduce the stigma of substance abuse
Kanada. Decriminalizing hard drugs in B.C. will help reduce the stigma of substance abuse
Substance use disorder is a chronic but treatable medical condition.
Unlike other physical and mental health conditions, however, substance use disorder — or addiction — has historically been seen as a moral failing and was for many years relegated to the fringes of the medical community.
Instead of receiving treatment in an accessible medical setting, many individuals went untreated or turned to a largely unregulated system of public and private treatment options. Drug use was criminalized and because many still believe that people who use drugs are engaging in deliberately deviant behaviour, we often choose to punish, rather than treat, drug addiction.
That’s why British Columbia’s recent move to eliminate criminal penalties for the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use is an important step toward the decriminalization of addiction. (The Conversation, Frankreich, 20.02.2023)