Toronto Board of Health Urges Federal Government to Decriminalize Drug Use



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TORONTO – The board of health of Canada's most populous city on Monday urged the federal government to decriminalize all drugs and urged Canadians to turn their recommendation into a national movement

. presented a report from Dr. Eileen de Villa, Medical Officer of Health, urging the city to ask the federal government to treat drug use as a public health issue rather than a criminal issue

. The laws will change if we provoke this national conversation, "said the chairman of the board of directors. Joe Mihevc, moments before an amended version of the recommendations was accepted unanimously.

"We will be the first to do it, but we can not be the one and only," he said

. I did not know that other health boards in Canada made similar recommendations to the federal government

The board of health will now send a letter to Ottawa to inform the government of its recommendation

. recommended to send the report to the Public Health Boards of Ontario, to the Boards of Health of Canada's 10 largest cities, to the Ontario Public Health Association and to the Ontario Public Health Association. other similar groups "for information and approval".

Drug use has always been with us, "Villa said." Humans have always used drugs one way or another. "

" Potential Associated Damage to one of these drugs are aggravated when people are pushed into a situation where they have to produce, obtain and consume these drugs illegally "She said," That's what we're trying to address through this report and this recommendation. "

This measure is a direct response to an overdose epidemic that swept the country, beginning with British Columbia 19659002] In 2017, 303 overdose deaths opioids have been reported in Toronto, which, according to the report, represents an increase of 63% over the previous year.

According to a Health Canada report last month,

But the federal agency said the government is not seeking not currently decriminalize or legalize all narcotics.

"We are committed to taking a compbadionate and evidence-based approach to" We are aware that decriminalization, as part of a comprehensive approach to working in places like Portugal, but further study would be necessary since the circumstances are very different in Canada. "

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