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Premier Doug Ford is showing his displeasure with any move to decriminalize certain street drugs.
It is being tried in B.C., but it has led to concerns about use in public places like hospitals and parks.
The city of Toronto, last year put in an application to Health Canada for a similar initiative.
Ford says it is the wrong way to go and will fight tooth and nail any such effort in Ontario.
“It’s not working. You need to help these people. Give them treatment. Support them. That’s what we need. Not say, here’s some more drugs to take. Sometimes, I wonder where people’s brains are. I really do. It’s unbelievable,” says Ford.
Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore, issued a report last month that recommended the province decriminalize the simple possession of unregulated drugs for personal use.
Several organizations, including the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO), the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) have made similar suggestions in the past.
Ford says he would rather see an emphasis on treatment programs.
“That’s what we should be doing, not legalizing hard drugs. You got to be kidding me. Letting people do cocaine, crack and heroin. You got to be kidding me.”
