Toronto public health officials call on Ottawa to decriminalize drugs
Toronto public health officials say the federal government should decriminalize all drugs for personal use in an effort to fight the opioid epidemic that has claimed hundreds of lives in recent years.
A new report by Toronto Public Health also recommends the city’s board of health urge Ottawa to create a task force to explore options for the legal regulation of all drugs.
The agency says the task force should include people who use drugs as well as experts in a variety of fields, including policy, public health and mental health.
The report, which is expected to be tabled at the city’s board of health meeting next week, includes a survey that suggests Torontonians do not believe the current approach to drugs is working.