A majority of those living in the Kingston area would support the decriminalization of small amounts of drugs in an effort to help curb substance abuse issues, a public health survey has found.
Last spring, the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health’s (KFLA) community drug advisory committee launched a community consultation to look at opinions around current drug policies and gauge how the public would feel about decriminalizing possession of drugs, specifically opioids and crystal meth for personal use.
The results, released in a report Monday, show 70 per cent agreed drug possession laws should change to support those who use substances and well over half supported decriminalization.
“When we looked at decriminalization as a policy option, 63 per cent of people supported moving towards decriminalization” committee chair Susan Stewart told Global News.
“We’re looking at the policy of criminalization of people who use substances because it is a failed policy in terms of preventing drug use and it is a harmful policy for people who are incarcerated because of substance use.”
According to numbers from public health, drug-related deaths in the KFL&A region rose from 16 in 2016 to 53 in 2022, a threefold increase.
The community drug advisory committee was set up in 2017, and includes members of the health sector, family physicians, justice services, police, social services, and funding organizations.
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The consultation is part of a broader KFL&A strategy working to address the overdose crisis with an approach that focuses on public health and community well-being, public heath said.
“I think we can all agree that we’re currently doing isn’t working,” Julie Langan of the Kingston and district John Howard Society told said as the survey was rolled out last year.
“These sorts of steps towards shifting the war on drugs from people who use substances to a greater policy issue really allows to focus our efforts to getting people the help they need.”
The consultation saw 1,775 people take part online and 100 others with lived and living experience in substances take part in focus groups held in Kingston and Napanee between April and June.
The collected data was then analyzed by Queen’s University’s Public Health Sciences Department.
The results show there is “a cautiously optimistic attitude towards decriminalization” in the community, the health authority said.
The survey found benefits recognized by respondents include reduced stigma, safer drug use and better access to treatment, while concerns included community safety and increased drug use that could lead to more overdoses.
Overall 86 per cent of those surveyed said they are concerned about the overdose crisis.
Stewart said the findings represent “a move towards understanding the complexities of substance use from a community’s standpoint” and told Global News next steps will include reaching out to other sectors, including health care and law enforcement to share the results.
“(We need to) garner their local expert opinion on what this would look like,” she explained
“What would be the impact … and if it’s going to pose challenges, what kind of mitigation strategies can we put in place?”
Under decriminalization those caught with small amounts of drugs intended for personal use would not be charged, while the production and sale of the drugs would remain illegal.
The policy was implemented in British Columbia last year, where adults with up to 2.5 grams of drugs for personal use, including opioids, cocaine and MDMA, have not been arrested or charged.
The goal with decriminalization, proponents have said, is to reduce the shame and stigma surrounding drug use, something they say can prevent people from accessing care and services.
— with files from Fawwaz Muhammad-Yusuf
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