The Decriminalization of Illicit Drugs in British Columbia

June 16, 2022

Canada has announced their plans to decriminalize small amounts of illicit drugs in British Columbia by January of 2023. They are hopeful this will lower high rates of overdoses.

Graffiti about drug decriminalization. Ted’s Photos. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

In British Columbia, Canada, where thousands of overdose deaths occur each year, officials have decided to try decriminalizing small amounts of illicit drugs. The illicit drugs in question include heroin, cocaine, opioids, methamphetamine and more. Residents of British Columbia 18 years or older will be allowed to possess a maximum of 2.5 grams of these drugs without penalty, a policy that will take effect in January of 2023. This policy comes from an exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act that makes these drugs illicit, which was granted to British Columbia for a three-year trial run.

Officials hope that by decriminalizing small amounts of these drugs, dependent users will feel less afraid of prosecution and stigmatization if they do decide to seek drug-related help. Further, by tackling rates of drug deaths as a public health issue, BC Government News says “the Province will create new pathways to support those seeking treatment.”

Since the height of the pandemic in 2020, British Columbia has struggled with high rates of illicit drug abuse and overdose deaths. In 2020, drug-related death rates rose into the two-thousands, a problem that since 2016 had been declared a public health crisis. Most of these deaths occur when drug users hide their addiction from friends and family, fearing the reaction or stigmatization that will come from their loved ones learning of their addiction.

By decriminalizing these drugs, Canada hopes to reverse this effect; Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, wrote in a tweet: “Stigma and fear of criminalization cause some people to hide their drug use, use alone, or use in ways that increase the risk of harm. This is why the Government of Canada treats substance use as a health issue, not a criminal one.”

Street use in Vancouver. Ted’s Photos. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

The exemption to be instituted in 2023 has found support from family and friends of deceased drug users and was even supported by the police associations and chief coroner. Though some call for even further decriminalization – a policy that would expand the 2.5 gram limit to larger amounts – health officials in Canada believe 2.5 grams is a good trial starting point. Harm reduction is their main goal; British Columbia’s Provincial Health Official Dr. Bonnie Henry stated, “This is not one single thing that will reverse this crisis but it will make a difference.”

In requesting an exemption from the Controlled Drug and Substances Act, British Columbia also stated that drug-related felonies and arrests disproportionately affect already marginalized communities. In decriminalizing small amounts of drugs, the authorities will reduce punitive actions and may help to decrease the stigmas around drug use that cause people to hide their addictions.

Turning Point of Tampa has also stated that experts on drug incarceration have stated that imprisonment does not deter drug use, and problems such as substance abuse, mental health issues and fear of open drug use worsen when sentenced to prison time. Peer clinical adviser Guy Felicella told the New York Times, “Arresting me and incarcerating me for all those years for using drugs never stopped me once from using drugs — even when I went to prison. It didn’t do anything except create stigma and discrimination, shame,” which is the exact thing Canada is trying to end through decriminalization.

Hoping to reduce the stigma surrounding drug use that leads to deaths due to fear of judgment and sequentially more dangerous usage, Canada is waiting to see how this exemption in 2023 will reduce rates of drug-related deaths, and whether further decriminalization is needed.

To Get Involved:

The Canadian Drug Policy Coalition (CDPC) is an advocacy organization that is fighting against the harm caused by drug prohibition laws. Campaigning with a platform centered on decriminalization, the Coalition strives to reduce the high rates of drug overdose deaths in Canada. To learn more about the CDPC’s mission and to support their work, click here.

Ava is an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois, double majoring in English and Communications. At school, she Web Writes about music for a student-run radio station. She is also an avid backpacker, which is where her passion for travel and the outdoors comes from. She is very passionate about social justice issues, specifically those involving women’s rights, and is excited to write content about social action across the globe.

‘Bad Students’: Thai High Schoolers Turned Political Activists

January 6, 2021

What started as a group of students protesting clothing and hair restrictions has turned into a political activism movement thousands strong. Thailand’s “Bad Students” are protesting a military-backed government and calling for reforms to the constitution and monarchy.

Pro-democracy protest in Bangkok, July 2020. Prachatai. CC BY 3.0

On Nov. 21, thousands of pro-democracy activists gathered in downtown Bangkok to protest Thailand’s royalist, military-backed government. Some protesters came dressed as dinosaurs, in large, inflatable T-Rex suits, while others carried balloons shaped like meteors calling for the end of the “dinosaur age,” a reference to the conservative attitudes of government officials. The protesters called for the resignation of the current government, headed by Premier Prayut Chan-o-cha, a former army chief, as well as a new constitution to replace the current one, which was written by the military.

Ahead of the protest, three of its organizers were summoned to a police station for questioning: 16-year-old Benjamaporn Nivas and two boys, also high school students. The three teenagers are some of the leaders of the “Bad Students,” a group of pro-democracy students in Thailand that has joined the broader protests against the government.

At first, the Bad Students were focused solely on education reform; they wanted a complete overhaul of the education system, which they say promotes conformity and blind obedience through rote learning and whitewashed history. In August, hundreds of students gathered outside the education minister’s office, demanding no uniforms, no restrictions on hair length, and a modern curriculum. Since becoming a democracy, Thailand has had 13 successful coups, but textbooks ignore pro-democracy history and instead promote the monarchy. Following the August protest, the Bad Students also insisted that the education minister resign, distributing thousands of copies of a mock resignation letter and later even staging a mock funeral for him.

Shortly after their August protest, the Bad Students realized that they would never achieve the reforms they wanted under the current government. Nivas said they learned that “the education ministry is just one part of a bigger, rotten system from the past that needs to be changed,” and that the voices of the Bad Students would be more useful if they joined the broader pro-democracy movements.

Thailand has been at least a nominal democracy since 1932, when it abolished absolute monarchy in favor of constitutional monarchy. Over the years, Thailand has been mostly ruled by military governments, with its monarch serving as head of state. In addition to condemning Chan-o-cha’s military-backed rule, protesters have criticized the monarchy for spending Thai tax revenue and endorsing the military’s role in politics. Maha Vajiralongkorn, Thailand’s current monarch, is being pressured to remain bound by the constitution, to cut ties with the military-led establishment, to open palace books to the public for scrutiny and to repeal Thailand’s lèse-majesté law, which allows imprisonment for defamation of any member of the royal family.

The government did not give ground to pro-democracy activists after the Nov. 21 protest. Chan-o-cha issued a warning that all laws, including lèse-majesté, would continue to be enforced. With neither the government nor the protesters changing their stance, some experts worry that the situation could descend into violence. Others, however, are hopeful. Chan-o-cha appeared in constitutional court on Dec. 2 for a minor infringement, and some saw this appearance as a way for the government to remove him as premier by legal means, thereby ousting him without giving in to the demands of the protesters. The Bad Students and other pro-democracy groups continue to plan, holding rallies and protests while advocating for change and a greater voice for the people.

To Get Involved:

To take action to support the pro-democracy movements in Thailand, sign the Amnesty International petition to defend peaceful protesters here.

Denmark Reckons with the #MeToo Movement

November 12, 2020

Years after the #MeToo movement first began, Danish women are demanding gender equality in the workplace. After allegations of sexual harassment across multiple industries, leaders are committing to change.

Nyhavn Canal in Copenhagen, Denmark. D Rishi. CC BY 2.0.

On paper, Denmark has some of the highest markers of gender equality in the world. Around 40% of Danish parliament representatives are women, and the country’s first female prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, was appointed in 2011. Parental leave is split equally between Danish men and women, and Danish men often spend as much time caring for the home as Danish women. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report ranked Denmark as 14th globally, which means that Denmark’s gender divide is statistically very small.

Despite Denmark’s pride in gender equality, Danish women are speaking out against the misogyny and sexual harassment that permeates Danish work culture. At a comedy awards show in August, entertainment personality and host Sofie Linde broke the silence on sexism in the Danish entertainment industry in a bombshell speech. Following her speech, over 1,600 women signed a letter in support of complaints about sexual harassment in the media industry.

This public acknowledgment of sexual misconduct has emboldened more women to speak out. Over 600 doctors and medical students have signed a petition to end gender-based harassment in hospitals, universities and laboratories. In the political sphere, over 300 female politicians have called for reform, using 79 anonymous testimonies to illustrate the overt sexism that plagues the Danish government. Camilla Soee, one of the politicians spearheading this movement, told the BBC: "Once and for all, we wanted to prove that sexism and sexual harassment is part of the political environment."

Former mayor of Copenhagen Frank Jensen. Jenny Andersson. CC BY 3.0.

As these women confront the men who have both enabled and engaged in widespread sexism in the workplace, many powerful men have been pressured to step down from their positions following allegations of misconduct. The mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen, resigned from office on Oct. 19, 2020, after multiple women came forward with allegations of sexual harassment. In a statement to The Copenhagen Post, Jensen said, “I want to be a positive part of the culture change process that has been launched with the second wave of MeToo. I want to go from being a part of the problem to being a part of the solution.”

The Danish pride in gender equality has led to mixed receptions of this movement. Because of the Danish perception that Denmark is gender inclusive and equitable, many Danes believe that feminism is an unnecessary movement. In a poll conducted by the YouGov-Cambridge Globalism Project, only one in six Danes reported themselves as a feminist. The same poll found that two in five Danes believed that the #MeToo movement was unnecessary. As #MeToo finds new footing in Denmark, perhaps attitudes toward Danish feminism will evolve. The women leading this movement are determined to make a lasting impact in the fight for women’s rights.