Canadian Public Health Physicians Join BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS in Calling for Evidence‐Based Drug Policy to Improve Community Health and Safety

Dr. Perry Kendall of British Columbia and Dr. Robert Strang of Nova Scotia call for evaluation of alternative strategies to reduce unwanted harms incurred by current approach to illicit drugs

Vancouver, British Columbia (March 28, 2012): Two Canadian chief provincial medical health officers have highlighted discordance between scientific evidence and drug policy decision‐making, and endorsed a discussion of new approaches, including the evaluation of taxation and regulation strategies as a more effective way to improve community health and safety in Canada.

The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC‐CfE) today published a paper in Open Medicine, an international, peer‐reviewed medical journal reviewing the evidence on the effectiveness of current illicit‐drug policies. The opinions expressed in the paper by the authors are their own professional opinions as public health physicians and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of their employers.

The paper focuses on cannabis and concludes: “In light of the persistently widespread availability and relative safety of cannabis in comparison to existing legal drugs, as well as the crime and violence that exist secondary to prohibition of this drug, there is a need for discussion about the optimal regulatory strategy to reduce the harms of cannabis use while also reducing unintended policy‐attributable consequences (e.g., the organized crime that has emerged under prohibition).”

The paper recommends that the Canadian government re‐evaluate strategies such as mandatory minimum sentences, which have proven costly and ineffective in other nations. It notes that a growing number of European countries, such as Portugal and Holland, have treated drug use as a health rather than a criminal justice issue and have seen lower rates of drug use, as well as lower rates of drug‐related harms such as HIV infections, overdose deaths, and crime.

“There is clear evidence to demonstrate that the so called war on drugs has not achieved its stated objectives of reducing rates of drug use or drug availability,” said Dr. Perry Kendall, chief provincial medical health officer for B.C. and co‐author of the paper. “There are alternative approaches that have proved more effective in protecting public heath while not enriching organized crime and driving gang violence.”
Dr. Evan Wood, co‐director, Urban Health Research Initiative at the BC‐CfE and one of the co‐authors of the paper said that in the face of overwhelming evidence that the war‐on‐drugs approach is ineffective, the status quo must change if we really want to effectively counter the harms of illicit drugs and work towards creating safer communities for our children.

There has been growing support for regulation and taxation of marijuana in B.C. and the debate for drug policy reform has been gaining momentum across Canada. Earlier this year, Canada’s Liberal party voted in favour of the resolution to tax and regulate marijuana citing the failure of the war‐on‐drugs strategy. Recently, in B.C., former Vancouver mayors, premiers and provincial attorneys general have spoken out in favour of taxation and regulation of marijuana.

“Canada needs to pause and re‐evaluate its current approach to drug policy and embrace evidence‐ based strategies that can meaningfully improve community health and safety,” said Dr. Robert Strang, chief provincial medical health officer for Nova Scotia and co‐author of the paper.

To read the full paper titled Improving community health and safety in Canada through evidence‐based policies on illegal drugs, please go to: http://www.openmedicine.ca/.

[button link=”http://www.openmedicine.ca/article/view/501/455/” color=”orange”]Click Here for Paper[/button]

About the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC‐CfE) (www.cfenet.ubc.ca) is Canada’s largest HIV/AIDS research, treatment and education facility and is internationally recognized as an innovative world leader in combating HIV/AIDS and related diseases. It is based at St. Paul’s Hospital, Providence Health Care, a teaching hospital of the University of British Columbia. The BC‐CfE works in close collaboration with key provincial stakeholders, including health authorities, health care providers, academics from other institutions, and the community to improve the health of British Columbians living with HIV through developing, monitoring and disseminating comprehensive research and treatment programs for HIV and related illnesses.

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For additional information or to request an interview, please contact:

Mahafrine Petigara
Edelman (for BC‐CfE)
604‐623‐3007 ext. 297
mahafrine.petigara@edelman.com

Media Coverage: Global Commission on Drug Policy Endorsement

February 29, 2012 Virgin Group founder Richard Branson; former Presidents of Brazil, Colombia and Switzerland; and former Federal Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour called Bill C-10 a ‘grave mistake’ and publicly endorsed Stop the Violence BC.

Please see below for complete media listing.

Print and Online

Demande de marche arriere (12/02/29). Journal de Montreal
Tran, N. (12/02/29). The war on pot is ‘destructive’ and ‘ineffective’ says panel Examiner
Press, J. (12/02/29). Richard Branson urges Tories to change crime bill and legalize pot, Ottawa Citizen
Press, J. (12/02/29). Richard Branson urges Tories to change crime bill and legalize pot, Vancouver Sun.
Press, J. (12/02/29). Richard Branson urges Tories to change crime bill and legalize pot, The Provincs
Press, J. (12/02/29). Richard Branson urges Tories to change crime bill and legalize pot, Edmonton Journal
Press, J. (12/02/29). Richard Branson urges Tories to change crime bill and legalize pot, Windsor Star
Press, J. (12/02/29). Richard Branson urges Tories to change crime bill and legalize pot, Victoria Times Colonist
Press, J. (12/02/29). Richard Branson urges Tories to change crime bill and legalize pot, Calgary Herald
Cheadle, B. (12/02/29). Reconsider pot prohibition, international panel urges Harper, The Star Phoenix Cheadle, B. (12/02/29). Reconsider pot prohibition, international panel urges Harper, The Chronicle Herald
Cheadle, B. (12/02/29). Reconsider pot prohibition, international panel urges Harper, MSN News Canada
Cheadle, B. (12/02/29). Reconsider pot prohibition, international panel urges Harper, The Daily News.
Cheadle, B. (12/02/29). Reconsider pot prohibition, international panel urges Harper, The Daily Courier
Cheadle, B. (12/02/29). Reconsider pot prohibition, international panel urges Harper, Brandon Sun
Cheadle, B. (12/02/29). Reconsider pot prohibition, international panel urges Harper, Hamilton Spectator
Cheadle, B. (12/02/29). Reconsider pot prohibition, international panel urges Harper, Winnipeg Free Press.
Cheadle, B. (12/02/29). Reconsider pot prohibition, international panel urges Harper, Toronto Star
Cheadle, B. (12/02/29). Reconsider pot prohibition, international panel urges Harper, Global News
Cheadle, B. (12/02/29). Reconsider pot prohibition, international panel urges Harper, CTV.CA.
Cheadle, B. (12/02/29). Reconsider pot prohibition, international panel urges Harper, Huffington Post
Cheadle, B. (12/02/29). Reconsider pot prohibition, international panel urges Harper, Metro News Montreal
Cheadle, B. (12/02/29). Reconsider pot prohibition, international panel urges Harper, Metro News Toronto
Cheadle, B. (12/02/29). Reconsider pot prohibition, international panel urges Harper, Globe and Mail
Kieltyka, M. (12/03/01). Luminaries lambast C-10’s approach to pot, Metro News Halifax
Kieltyka, M. (12/03/01). Luminaries lambast C-10’s approach to pot, Metro News Ottawa
Kieltyka, M. (12/03/01). Luminaries lambast C-10’s approach to pot, Metro News London 
Kieltyka, M. (12/03/01). Luminaries lambast C-10’s approach to pot, Metro News Edmonton 
Kieltyka, M. (12/03/01). Luminaries lambast C-10’s approach to pot, Metro News Calgary
Kieltyka, M. (12/03/01). Luminaries lambast C-10’s approach to pot, Metro News Vancouver
Mulgrew, I. (12/03/02). Cal to legalize pot goes beyond wanting a puff, The Vancouver Sun.
Canada News: Stephen Harper repeating same old mistakes with tougher pot laws, global group says (12/02/29). Toronto Star
Payne, E. (12/02/29). Plenty of blame for the drug crisis, Ottawa Citizen.
Alter crime bill: world thinkers. (12/02/29). The Windsor Star.
Press, J. (12/02/29). Richard Branson urges Tories to change crime bill and legalize pot, Montreal Gazette.
Press, J. (12/02/29). Richard Branson urges Tories to change crime bill and legalize pot, Canada.com.
‘Building more prisons ony deepens the drug problems’. (12/02/29). iPolitics.
Cheadle, B. (12/02/29). International panel urges Harper to reconsider Canadian pot problems, Winnipeg Free Press.
MacPherson, D. (12/02/29). The Global Commission on Drug Policy salutes Stop the Violence BC and sends message to the Senate Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
Press, J. (12/02/29). Kofi Annan and Sir Richard Branson urge Tories to change crime bill, Canada.com.
Easton, M. (11/11/17). Why is it only ‘formers’ who want to talk about drugs?, BBC.

Radio

CBC Radio One – National
Newstalk 980 CJME – Regina
680 News – Toronto
AM 770 – Calgary
AM 900 CHML – Hamilton
iNews 880 – Edmonton
News 95.7 – Halifax
News 88.9 – Saint John
News 91.1 – Moncton
News 88.9 – Saint John
Newstalk 610 CKTB – St. Catherines
Newstalk 800 CJAD – Montreal
AM 770 – Calgary
600 CKAT – North Bay
CFAX 1070 – Victoria
News 1130 – Vancouver
CFRA 580 – Ottawa
600 CKAT – North Bay
570 News – Kitchener
AM 980 – London
630 CHED – Edmonton
660 News – Calgary
CKNW 980 – Vancouver
Radio NL – Kamloops
(12/02/29). CTV News St John
(12/02/29). CHCH Hamilton –News Now
(12/02/29). CTV News National
(12/02/29). CBC News Now National
(12/02/29). CKNW Vancouver.
(12/02/29). 660 News Calgary.
(12/02/29). 630 CHED Edmonton.
(12/02/29). AM 980 London.
(12/02/29). CFRA 580 Ottawa.
(12/02/29). News 1130 Vancouver.
(12/02/29). 570 News Kitchner
(12/02/29). CFAX 1070 Victoria.
(12/02/29). 600 CKAT North Bay.
(12/02/29). A770 Calgary
(12/02/29). Newstalk 800 CJAD Montreal.
(12/02/29). Newstalk 610 CkTB St Catherines.
News 91.1 Moncton.
(12/02/29). News 88.9 St John.
(12/02/29). News 95.7 Halifax.
(12/02/29). iNews880 Edmonton.
(12/02/29). AM 900 CHML Hamilton.
(12/02/29). AM770 Calgary
News. (12/02/29). 680 Toronto.
CJME. (12/02/29). Newstalk 980.
National. (12/02/29). CBC.
Tremonti, A. M. (12/02/29). The Current, CBC.

Television
Fitzpatrick, M. (12/03/12). Tories’ crime bill clears Parliament, CBC News.
Fitzpatrick, M. (12/03/07). Crime bill vote pushed back to Monday, CBC.
End ‘destructive’ war on pot, panel urges Harper. (12/02/29). CBC News.

 

 

Thanks to your help, City of Victoria cannabis motion debated and passed

On Thursday March 15th, Victoria City Council Governance and Planning Committee debated and passed a motion on the regulation and taxation of cannabis. The text of the motion can be found here.

Thanks to your support, the motion passed.

You will be able to find minutes from the March 15th meeting and the agenda for the March 22nd meeting here, on the city of Victoria website.

 

Media Coverage
March 23, 2012, Murray Langdon Show, CFAX 1070
Gardner, S. March 22, 2012. Council Unanimously passes motion to support regulatory approach to cannabis control. CFAX1070.

Media Coverage: Stop the Violence BC in Kelowna

On March 1st, Stop the Violence BC held two public forums on Stop the Violence BC featuring coalition members David Bratzer, Chris Fibiger, David Kennedy and Dr. Evan Wood.

David Bratzer On CHBC Evening News

Dr. Evan Wood On Castanet News

 Print Media Coverage

Michaels, K. (12/03/01). Kelowna to hear legalization argument, Kelowna Capital News.
Open Line with Phill Johnson (12/03/01). AM1150.
Daybreak South. (12/03/01). CBC.
Pot law draws fire. (12/03/01). Daily Courier
Michaels, K. (12/03/01). Kelowna to hear pot legalization argument, Kelowna Capital News
War on drugs blamed for gang violence (12/03/01). CHBC Global Okanagan
Pot law draws fire. (12/03/01). Daily Courier.
Daybreak South. (12/03/01). CBC
Open Line with Phil Johnson. (12/03/01). AM1150.