A six-point plan to address B.C.’s [& the Eugene/Springfield/Lane County] opiod epidemic
*ECfES Policy Preview and Anaylsis HERE
We’ve got to stop calling it “the opioid crisis” or “the overdose crisis” and start calling it “the prohibition deaths crisis.” Media needs to start referring to overdose deaths as “victims of drug prohibition … We must recognize that prohibition itself is the real “drug problem”. –Dana Larsen is a founding member of both the B.C. Marijuana Party and the Canadian Marijuana Party, a former editor of Cannabis Culture magazine, and the founder and director of Sensible B.C
Stop all arrests for the personal possession of any drug in B.C. B.C. has the power to decriminalize possession by stopping arrests. This has to be the first step. Set up supervised injection [SIS] & overdose prevention sites [OPS] in every city and town in B.C. People use injection drugs everywhere in B.C. We don’t just need a SIS in the Downtown Eastside, we need them easily accessible and all across the province. Set up stations in all B.C. cities and towns where people can bring any street drug to be tested to find out what’s in it, no questions asked. People can get drugs tested at music festivals, they also need to be able to get them tested in their neighbourhood. Immediately begin providing hydromorphone, heroin, and other opiates in safe dosages to current users. If we want to stop overdoses, we need a safe drug supply. This is crucial. Every drug-policy expert says we need a clean, legal drug supply. Fund programs which offer cannabis and/or kratom as substitutes to opiates. Also fund addiction treatment programs that use psychedelic therapies like ibogaine & psilocybe. Prohibition itself bans beneficial medicinal herbs that help people get off opiates. Heavily lobby the federal government to end the drug war by legalizing safe dosages of most currently banned drugs, and treat problem substance use as a health issue, not a criminal offence.
Original Article (Straight):
A six-point plan to address B.C.’s [& Eugene’s] opioid epidemic
Artwork Fair Use: ECfES
