A coalition of organizations is calling on Mayor Valérie Plante’s government to follow Vancouver and Toronto’s lead in decriminalizing simple possession of drugs.
To that end, the City Without Overdose Coalition launched its “Decriminalize Drugs, Save Lives” campaign on Tuesday, supported by a petition open to citizens, to urge the City of Montreal to decriminalize drug possession on its territory.
Specifically, the petition calls on elected municipal officials to formally petition the federal government for an exemption from the Narcotics Act.
As of January 31, 2023, in British Columbia, it is now legal to possess 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, ecstasy or methamphetamine without risking a police arrest.
The NPO estimates that overdoses in Quebec have reached alarming proportions, causing 490 deaths between July 2021 and June 2022, which could have been avoided as decriminalization reduces the number of overdoses.
“Harm reduction makes it possible to address the overdose crisis for what it is, a public health problem,” said Chantal Montmorency, executive director of AQPSUD and spokesperson for the Coalition Ville sans surdoses.
“Drug decriminalization reduces overdose deaths, improves access to services for people who use drugs, stops the spread of HIV and hepatitis C, and reduces the stigma associated with drug use,” she said.
“Montreal […] is unwilling to use its powers as a municipality to seek an exemption and ensure that drug possession on its territory is effectively decriminalized,” added Dopamine CEO Martin Pagé.