National Post ePaper

Board of health wants OD emergency declared

KELLY EGAN

Ottawa's Board of Health is showing qualified support for the decriminalization of possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs.

The board agreed Monday to send a letter to the federal minister of health asking that “simple possession” of drugs — like opioids currently illegal — be permitted for personal use.

The board cautioned this should only be done with consultation with “key stakeholders” during planning and implementation.

The board also asked the minister to declare the current “drug overdose crisis” to be a national health emergency that requires a country-wide, co-ordinated approach, including improvements to prevention and treatment programs and better access to pharmaceutical alternatives.

Between April and December 2020, more than 5,100 Canadians died of an opioid overdose, an increase of 89% from the same period in 2019.

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2021-09-22T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-09-22T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://nationalpost.pressreader.com/article/281801402104533

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