The conservative government of Canada introduced Bill C-15 in February 2009; the Bill was part of its Anti-Drug Strategy to combat illicit drug production and distribution through mandatory prison sentences. The government proposed that the Bill would fight gangs and reduce drug use and drug related crime.
This Bill that is supposed to target serious crime will affect people who just use drugs on their own, or who sell to support their own drug habit. Having mandatory minimum sentences will take away any consideration of people’s circumstances and need for help. A drug treatment court program can be a valuable alternative to prison sentences and a source of connection to supports for people with nonviolent offences. But there are few operational drug treatment courts in Canada.
The government of Canada should consider why people use drugs as part of their daily life. People with substance use problems often experience the impact of such social determinants of health as poverty, family dysfunction, an abusive childhood, lack of education, unemployment, and mental health problems. The government should address these issues and view substances use as a public health issue and not a criminal one.