Edmonton to examine working toward decriminalizing minor drug offences
CTV
A city council committee will examine the decriminalization of illegal drugs to help reduce the number of drug poisoning deaths.
A city council committee will examine the decriminalization of illegal drugs to help reduce the number of drug poisoning deaths.
According to data released by the provincial government, 666 Edmontonians and nearly 1,800 Albertans died from drug overdoses last year, with at least a record-breaking one hundred deaths every month.
"That's nearly two preventable deaths a day," said Michael Janz, ward papastew councillor.
In January, Janz asked for a report from city administration that explored pathways Edmonton could take towards decriminalizing small amounts of illegal drugs, following the lead of other Canadian major cities like Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.
This week, councillors on the community and public services committee will receive the report and decide whether to move ahead, which would require a subsequent motion recommending city council to consider the issue.
"It's an entirely preventable drug crisis," Janz told CTV News Edmonton. "This is an enormous number. We need to look at any measure we can.
"Any evidence-based measure, like decriminalization, that can help get people out of the criminal justice system into a public health system where they can see doctors, where they can get a prescription, and where they can get at the root causes driving the addiction… is needed," he added.
