Addiction to drugs is a severe health condition that affects the lives of millions of people globally. In particular, prescription drugs such as opioids that have been commonly administered as pain management treatment for severe pain resulted in a global opioid pandemic that adversely affected numerous Canadian citizens. Different countries take various measures to manage the causes and outcomes of the opioid crisis, with the spectrum of applicable interventions including mild and strict regulations. The case of Canada demonstrates that despite the omnipresence of illicit drug abuse and the multifaceted health problems associated with opioid dependence, the state authorities only start to initiate decisive measures. The present paper is designed to discuss the history of state interventions in Canada aimed at hard drug abuse, analyze the reasons for their implementation complexity, and introduce decriminalization as an important measure.
The history of state interventions aimed at regulating and managing drugs in Canada includes approximately a century. The first incidences of drug abuse in Canada were documented in the 1850-s when Chinese settlers brought opium as a pain relief medication (Canadian Center for Addictions, 2016). In order to regulate the production of opium in Canada and ensure economic benefits for the state, the government initiated taxation for opium-producing factories. At that point in history, state regulations related to drugs viewed opium as medication and did not uncover any implications other than economic. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, the number of opium users grew, addictive behaviors intensified, and a need for strict regulation of opium intake occurred. Indeed, as stated by the Canadian Center for Addiction (2016), the Opium Act of 1908 was aimed at criminalizing opium; “it was illegal to import, manufacture, or sell opium” (para. 2). Following this act, another legal document was enacted to regulate the use of hard drugs in patent medications. This legal document was called the Proprietary and Patent Medicine Act, which necessitated producers’ identification of hard drugs contained in their medications.
With the emergence of black markets for opiates, the government of Canada was forced to intensify the regulations by imposing more responsibility on drug users and distributors. In 1911, the Opium and Drugs Act was passed to impose penalties for violations, which were further changed into long-term imprisonment in the subsequent corrections to the act (Canadian Center for Addictions, 2016). Further, in the 1960-s, drugs were classified into eight schedules, with illicit drugs included in the category subject to life imprisonment. No significant changes to the laws criminalizing drugs had been made before the 2000-s. Since 2001, marijuana has been legalized, and numerous rehabilitation centers have been initiated by the government to recognize drug abuse as a medical condition (Canadian Center for Addictions, 2016). Starting in the mid-2010s, Canada has been experiencing a severe opioid crisis with over 15,000 deaths caused by opioids between 2016 and 2019 (Howlett, 2017). At present, the discussion concerning the liberalization of drug abuse interventions and decriminalization of drugs is being intensified (Mehler Paperny, 2021). Thus, the movement toward acknowledging drug abuse as a non-criminal but medical issue has been rather slow in Canada due to several reasons.
The reason why it has been difficult to deal with drug use in Canada is because of the ongoing criminalization of drug use regardless of the conditions and types of substances taken. The strictness of the penalties and imprisonment measures, as well as the ban on the import and production of opioid medications and drugs, triggered black markets and imposed further intensification of the problem without a relevant solution (Canadian Center for Addictions, 2016; Howlett, 2017). Furthermore, the high cost of drugs and the increasing number of abusers are viewed as a potential moneymaking source, which is why the interested stakeholders oppose any effective state regulations related to drugs.
Decriminalization might be one of the most effective measures capable of decreasing the number of drug-related deaths. In fact, Canada is already implementing some efforts aimed at pursuing the policies decriminalizing drug use. According to Mehler Paperny (2021), the authorities are considering “decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of drugs within city boundaries,” which might set an example for other regions of the country (para. 3). Indeed, decriminalization might solve an array of social and health-related issues caused by prior criminalization. In particular, there emerged “negative beliefs and stereotypes about people who use drugs,” and multiple criminals obstructing employment and affecting the potential for seeking professional help (Toronto Public Health, 2018, p. 2). Importantly, criminalization forces dependent individuals to engage in unsafe behaviors and intake practices, which results in increased HIV rates and other infections. Therefore, decriminalization as a means to manage the opioid crisis in Canada would be a valuable state intervention.
In conclusion, the history of drug abuse and state interventions aimed at eliminating this deadly problem is a century-long. While for many decades, opium and other hard drugs have been criminalized, such an approach resulted in a severe burden on dependent individuals and unsolved nationwide problems. People whose drug abuse should be treated from the perspective of medical condition management are currently forced to suffer from social pressure, criminal records, unemployment, and psychological and physical health impairments. These issues might be effectively addressed by means of decriminalization acts that would ensure timely treatment and adequate support.
References
Canadian Center for Addictions. (2016). A history of drug abuse in Canada [Data set]. Web.
Howlett, K. (2017). Canada’s opioid crisis. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Web.
Mehler Paperny. A. (2021). Canada considering drug decriminalization to fight the overdose crisis. Reuters. Web.
Toronto Public Health. (2018). Discussion paper: A public health approach to drugs [PDF document].