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Photo: Annette Riedl / dpa
The Canadian government wants to use therapy instead of punishment against small drug offenses.
Justice Minister David Lametti presented a bill on Tuesday that provides for the abolition of minimum sentences for certain offenses.
The draft also provides that the judiciary can "consider referral to treatment programs or other support services" in the case of "simple drug possession".
Lametti said his bill "can help people struggling with addictions get the treatment they need and avoid falling into a vicious circle of crime".
The province of British Columbia, which has declared a health emergency due to a drug epidemic, wants to go even further: The provincial government submitted a motion that the possession of small amounts of drugs for personal consumption should be completely decriminalized.
The federal government in Ottowa is currently still examining the application.
The minister responsible for addiction, Carolyn Bennett, told the public broadcaster CBC, however, that the proposal could be "a very good template" for the rest of Canada.
Scotland also issued a warning against hard drugs
A number of countries are currently beginning to decriminalize drug use.
Most recently, the authorities in Scotland made headlines with a push.
In future, police officers will only be able to warn people who are caught with hard drugs instead of prosecuting them.
This involves so-called "Class A" drugs such as heroin, cocaine and crystal meth.
In the case of drugs in the "Class B" category - including cannabis - and "Class C" - for example Rohypnol or Valium - a warning instead of criminal prosecution is already possible in the country.
Drug trafficking, however, remains a criminal offense.
In 2020, 1,339 people in Scotland died as a result of their drug use, the highest number since records began 25 years ago.
In the first half of 2021 there were 722. With 21 drug deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in the previous year, Scotland has the most devastating rate in Europe.
It is also three and a half times higher than the overall UK average.
jok / AFP
