When Harm Reduction Loses its Authenticity!
December 8, 2020
Pacific 10 h - 12 h / Mountain 11 h - 13 h / Central 12 h - 14 h / Eastern 13 h - 15 h / Atlantic 14 h-16 h / Newfoundland Labrador 14 h 30 - 16 h 30
Today, the term Harm Reduction is everywhere, often misunderstood and sometimes misused. Its principles and philosophy are forgotten, leaving room for a false vision of what it represents. People who use drugs and social justice are at the centre, it goes beyond risk reduction. In addition to speaking to its philosophy, principles and values, this webinar will provide insights into various practices and the creation of safe spaces for people who use drugs.
Register
Decriminalization: Beyond the Buzzword
October 14, 2020
Up to now, drug policies in Canada have failed to protect the health and human rights of people who use drugs. Criminalization puts, more than ever, people who use drugs at risk and contributes to their marginalization and oppression. As the country faces two major crises, establishing a public health and human rights approach to drugs is urgently needed to save lives.
In this webinar, four speakers present different aspects and international models surrounding decriminalization of drug possession for personal use.
Speakers:
- Sandra Ka Hon Chu, Director of Research and Advocacy at the HIV Legal Network
- Sandra’s presentation
- Guillermo R. Aureano, Coordonnateur des stages et chargé de cours au Département de science politique de l’Université de Montréal
- Guillermo’s presentation
- Emily Grant, Social Psychiatric housing Manager, RainCity Housing
- Emily’s presentation
- Jaime Arredondo Sánchez Lira, Professor at the Drug Policy Program at the Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económica (CIDE) in Aguascalientes, Mexico
- Jaime’s presentation
- Hosted by Julie-Soleil Meeson, Association des intervenants en dépendance du Québec (AIDQ)
In preparation we gathered a few resources, documents and media articles that you may be find helpful.
- Sign On: Decriminalize simple drug possession immediately
- Maps: Policing the Pandemic Mapping Project
- Maps: Drug Decriminalisation Across the World 29 countries. 49 models of drug decriminalisation. One handy web-tool.
- Read: Busted: An Illustrated History of Drug Prohibition in Canada by Susan C. Boyd
- Podcast: Crackdown
- Website: Decriminalize Nature Canada
- Letter: Canadian Government: Decriminalize Simple Drug Possession Immediately and Drug Decriminalization Follow Up Open Letter to Government
- Opinion: Caitlin Shane: Decriminalize drugs across Vancouver and watch the harm recede, October 9, ,2020
- Opinion: Canadians Split on Decriminalization of Possession of Narcotics, Prostitution | Ipsos , January 29, 2020
- Resource: Guidelines to prosecutors in determining the appropriate approach to the prosecution of the possession of a controlled substance contrary to s. 4(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (the “CDSA”).
- Resource: Act Now! Decriminalizing Drugs in Vancouver, 2020
- Resource: Impaired Judgment: Assessing the Appropriateness of Drug Treatment Courts as a Response to Drug Use in Canada — Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, June 7, 2012
- Resource: Drug Decriminalisation Policies in Practice: A Global Summary
- Resource: Dismantling the [US] Federal Drug War: A Comprehensive Drug Decriminalization Framework (The Drug Policy Reform Act)
- Resource: Drug decriminalisation in Portugal: setting the record straight
- News: How a Canadian Decriminalization Model Can Improve on Portugal, October 6, 2020
- News: Exclusive: President Behind Mexico’s War on Drugs Admitted It Was ‘Unwinnable’, September 23, 2020
- News: Canada Is So Close to Decriminalizing Drugs: Let’s Make It Happen, September 2, 2020
- News: Decriminalization of drugs ‘not a silver bullet’ for overdose crisis, prime minister says, September 2, 2020
- News: Canada’s top doctor open to opioid decriminalization as deaths spike, August 24, 2020
- News: ‘Societal discussion’ on drugs decriminalisation needed amid surge in opioid deaths, Canada’s health chief says, August 24, 2020
- News: Talks needed on decriminalizing hard drugs to address opioid crisis, Tam says, August 22, 2020
- News: Canadian police chiefs call for decriminalization of simple illicit drug possession, July 9, 2020
- News: B.C.’s top doctor urges province to decriminalize possession of hard drugs to address overdose crisis, April, 25, 2020
- News: Portugal’s Decriminalization of Drug Use, Explained, February 28. 2020
- News: Chief medical officer calls for decriminalization of all drugs for personal use, July 9, 2018
- Journal Article: Depenalization, diversion and decriminalization: A realist review and programme theory of alternatives to criminalization for simple drug possession, November 28,2019
- Journal Article: Drug Decriminalization: A Matter of Justice and Equity, Not Just Health, November 15, 2019
- Journal Article: Uses and Abuses of Drug Decriminalization in Portugal, Summer 2015
French Resources
- Nouvelle : Arruda «en faveur» de la décriminalisation des drogues au Québec, 31 août 2020
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Nouvelle : Punir et exclure les personnes qui consomment des drogues, ça suffit, 14 septembre 2020
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Vidéo : Faut-il décriminaliser les drogues? 6 octobre 2020
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Livre : Les Drogues : enjeux actuels et réflexions nouvelles sur leur régulation, Line Beauchesne (2018)
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Radio : Guillermo Aureano : mot à définir : Décriminalisation, 9 mars 2020
