Will decriminalization handle the Opioid crisis?
Well, to answer this question, it would help to know something about what the Opioid crisis or epidemic really is. According to various sources offered through Google News Alert, there are reported statistics of something on the order of 10,300 overdose death related to opioid abuse between 2016 and 2018 in Canada.
This can be anything from Tylenol to Fentanyl and everything in between. It doesn’t require a university degree to see there exists a real problem. And indeed, each of these deaths could have been avoided.
Opioid Crisis – Who Does it Help
Part of the problem is with those people who have vested financial interests. First on the list is pharmaceutical companies that must keep the quota up for the board. It gets so out of hand that certain persons will even bribe doctors to push opioid drugs to patients as recently seen in the US. Then there are those that want to take advantage of others such as can be seen with drug traffickers and dealers, etc. So, yes many persons do not care for another human being and only consider the profits at the end of the day.
What is decriminalization?
On the other side, we have decriminalization advocates. According to the Collins English dictionary, decriminalization means; “to remove (an action) from the legal category or criminal offense.” Also, per the Webster’s New World College Dictionary: “to eliminate or reduce the legal penalties for (a specified crime).”
So, on the one hand, we have people dying because of their abusing opioid type medication, and there are those demanding to decriminalize the drugs that are killing the latter. It’s a bit difficult to see how these two issues contribute to a better existence for the person abusing drugs.
Opioid Crisis & Education
You don’t need to look far to understand the legal aspects. Notice the results with marijuana since its decriminalization; there are more people now using pot than ever before in history. Even first-time users are on the rise. It’s difficult to understand how decriminalizing opioid drugs will actually cut down overdose death. The only sensible way to help abusers of such substances would be to support groups that advocate drug education. The more a person knows about drugs and their consequences the better the chance of cutting their use and abuse.
Government & The Crisis
The ultimate handling is to get the field of Canadian Health Care to responsibly propose control methods regarding the dispensing of such potent drugs. Getting doctors and others to thoroughly assess each case and determine the actual need for opiates. And for anyone struggling with addiction to opioids, supply proper affordable withdrawal management, and professional rehab counseling. Centers should cut down on their waiting list to dispense urgent help. Decriminalizing will only remove the criminal offense for selling and distributing. But can it cut down on the overdose epidemic?
For personal help with a loved one struggling with opiate addiction call our toll-free number. Speak with an experienced addiction referral counselor.
