The policy was introduced in British Columbia as a way of alleviating the opioid crisis. But scenes of people openly using drugs on city streets have instead led to accusations of fuelling disorder and deaths.
The mood was cautiously optimistic and the message was simple: Drug decriminalisation saves lives.
People who used or carried small quantities of illegal drugs in plain sight would no longer face arrest in British Columbia, the nexus of Canada’s opioid crisis, officials announced two years ago.
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Original URL: https://www.afr.com/world/north-america/this-place-decriminalised-drugs-it-didn-t-go-well-20240711-p5jsxl
