Safer supply is key – Maple Ridge News

The choice to decriminalize 2.5 grams of exhausting medicine for private use, beginning subsequent January, is an inadequate response to the epidemic of poisonous drug deaths and overdoses that’s nonetheless killing extra individuals in B.C. than COVID-19.

What B.C. wants is prescribed safer provide, throughout the entire province.

Maple Ridge has had a surprising 15 deaths to this point this 12 months as much as the tip of April, placing the town on observe to replicating its all-time-worst 45 deaths per 12 months the town noticed in 2021.

A decade in the past, 5 to 10 deaths per 12 months have been the norm in Maple Ridge.

The one answer to this drawback is for the federal government to step in and supply a regulated, examined protected provide for addicts. Together with safer consumption websites, drug purity testing, decriminalization, and initiatives such because the Assertive Group Therapy groups, we would really be capable to reduce the toll of deaths.

Now we have already tried nearly every little thing else. Enforcement and training can solely go to this point.

For years, police have given up on focusing on drug customers for private possession.

They’re rightly centered on the mid- to high-level sellers murdering each other on our streets.

The gangs are those cashing in on the drug commerce, the customers are being victimized by it.

Till the federal government actually internalizes the concept that it is a well being disaster first and a legal drawback second, we aren’t going to make progress on ending the deadly epidemic.

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