Under questioning from reporters, Osborne seemed to contradict herself. She acknowledged that “the rate of possession offenses, the seizures of drugs, did go down especially in that initial first part of the decriminalization pilot.”
But the minister couldn’t quite explain where the pilot fell short. She did say the goal of the project was “to make it easier for people who struggle with addiction to come forward and seek help.” When reporters asked how the pilot project influenced rates of treatment, Osborne said it was almost impossible to tell.
If the goal is to get addicts to seek help, decriminalization isn’t enough. You need to also provide the help to get out of the addiction.
I have some insight into this. I’ve taken harm reduction classes, attended a harm reduction convention in Vancouver, and lived on the downtown east side.
First, we know that incarceration increases recidivism even when combined with a drug treatment program.
Why? A major lack of cohesion between different social programs. Like, housing may depend on someone being clean, but even if they stop using they have to apply for housing and wait, meanwhile they’re back on the street, rinse and repeat.
Another reason — the cops continually raiding and shutting down safe drug sites on the downtown eastside even after decriminalization. Then, the mayor straight up raided downtown, attacked the unhoused and threw out their stuff.
So, while decriminalization was supposed to ease pressure on people to help them reach out for treatment, that treatment wasn’t any easier to get, cops were still raiding supposedly legal safe drug sites, putting increased pressure on the unhoused, and arrested at least one guy who tried to start a safe drug supply business in the middle of a fentanyl crisis.
If they didn’t see the numbers they wanted, maybe they should have stopped harassing drug users, integrated drug treatment and housing programs, and stopped making it harder to safely use.
