Drug Watch International
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Canadian Chiefs of Police Association
2001
Drugs
Are Illegal Because Drugs Are Dangerous
Drugs are not dangerous because they are illegal; drugs are
illegal because drugs are dangerous. There
is no such thing as "soft drugs" and "hard drugs," nor bona
fide criteria to differentiate between these terms.
People who refer to hard or soft drugs generally do not understand the
truth about drugs, or are seeking to soften attitudes towards the use of certain
illicit drugs. Generally, Marijuana (Cannabis) and its derivative
products are described in this context to distance the drug from the recognized
harm associated with other illegal drugs.
This has been a successful, yet dangerous approach, and contributes to
the misinformation, misunderstanding, and increasing tolerance associated with
marijuana use.
Marijuana is a powerful drug with a variety of effects.
Marijuana users are subject to a variety of adverse health consequences:
Respiratory Damage
Physical Coordination
Pregnancy & Post-Natal development
Memory & Cognition
Psychiatric Effects
Marijuana use is associated with poor work and school
performance, and learning problems for younger users.
Marijuana is internationally recognized as the gateway drug for other
drug use. Risk factors
for marijuana dependence are similar to those for other forms of drug abuse, and
much higher than those of alcohol.
Driving while intoxicated by drugs impairs judgment and
motor coordination. In one
study involving aircraft, ten licensed pilots were given one marijuana joint
containing 19 mg of THC, a relatively small amount. Twenty-four hours after smoking the joint, they were
tested in a flight simulator. All
ten of the pilots made errors in landing, and one missed the runway completely.
It was the consensus of the international community to put
marijuana, as well as other substances, under international control.
That decision was based on evidence of its harmfulness to human health
and its dependence potential.
Trends in Drug Use Among Canadians
Weakening perceptions of risk of harm in drug use,
weakening moral disapproval of drug use, and increasing perceived availability
of drugs have resulted in increasing rates of use among secondary students.
Increased drug dependency and substance abuse problems are also being
reported among young people.
Marijuana remains the most widely used illicit drug in
Canada. Even though alcohol
use is more common, problem use and frequent use are much less common with
alcohol than with illicit drugs. Students
who use drugs are more likely to use drugs repeatedly, more frequently, and
rapidly make drugs a significant part of their lives.
Students using drugs are far more likely to go to school intoxicated,
play sports while intoxicated, or use drugs in the morning.
Drugs & Organized Crime
There is an undisputable relationship between organized
crime and the illicit drug trade in Canada and abroad.
Canada has earned a reputation internationally as both a consumer and
leading supplier of marijuana and methamphetamine products to the United States.
Increasingly potent cannabis, having a high THC content, is appearing on
the illicit market.
Drug trafficking continues to increase in Canada. Besides the cannabis and cocaine smuggled into Canada out of countries such as Mexico, there was also an increase in the amount of heroin smuggled into Canada.
As Organized crime flourishes with little deterrence, members of crime gangs become more brazen and confrontational. In the province of Quebec, 150 people including an innocent child and two prison guards have been murdered by gangsters; reporter Michel Auger was shot six times in an assassination attempt; and farmers who have refused to grow marijuana and politicians who have exposed the activities have been the subject of threats. Violence and intimidation tactics have spread across Canada, including threats and acts of violence against police investigators and other justice officials.
We Are Not Losing "The War
on Drugs."
The fact is that Canada is not,
nor have we ever been, engaged in a "War on Drugs."
Statistics reveal that less than one drug related charge
per Canadian police officer is laid per year in Canada. While enforcement efforts focus on drug production,
trafficking, and importation, possession only charges are generally laid as a
consequence of investigations into other crimes and complaints. Police officers and justice officials often resort,
within our existing legislative framework, to alternative measures in dealing
with young offenders, first time offenders and minor possession only type
offences.
The impact of the efforts by the law enforcement agencies of Canada, however, has remained limited by our judicial system. Serious offenders, such as drug traffickers, importers and manufacturers receive little or no punishment, and it has been difficult to deter them from their illicit activity.
Police resources have been subject to fiscal constraints
over the past decade, and enforcement efforts have been limited as a
consequence. Perceived
tolerance of drug consumption by community leaders, including Members of
Parliament, Senators, Editorial Writers and even some Chiefs of Police, have all
contributed to the elevation of thresholds for drug investigation, arrest,
prosecution, conviction and sentencing.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of enforcement programs, and drug
prevention strategies, will be proportionate to the level of resources and
commitment.
Lessons Learned from Other
Countries
The facts proving that liberalization experiments in
different countries produce negative consequences are overwhelming.
In many Western European Countries including Great Britain,
decriminalizing possession of small quantities of cannabis for personal use has
either occurred, or has been de facto implemented.
In examining these experiences we can quickly learn,
however, that permissive drug policies fuel the appetite and consumption of
illicit drugs. Not
surprisingly, tolerance of drug use has had a proportionate impact in increasing
demand and supply. The
availability of drugs in Europe has increased.
In many countries, the prevalence and rise of amphetamine-type stimulants
is second only to that of cannabis abuse.
In countries that have adopted permissive policies towards drug use,
violent crime and organized criminal activity has increased proportionately to
the drug trade.
Countries that have liberalized drugs have highest rate of
illicit drug use and death by overdose per capita in Europe. Conversely Sweden,
which has adopted a policy of social refusal and interdiction of drugs, has the
lowest incidence of drug abuse in the European Union.
Having unsuccessfully experimented with permissive drug
policies of varying kinds in the 1960s and 1970s, Sweden subsequently concluded
that Drug abuse is dependent on supply and demand. According to Swedish authorities, if drugs are readily
available and society takes a permissive attitude, the number of persons trying
drugs will increase. If drugs
are very difficult to come by and there is a danger of being arrested, the
number of people trying drugs will be reduced.
Alaska is also an example of failed drug liberalization.
From 1980 to 1990 hashish consumption and possession was not a criminal
offence there. During this
time hashish abuse, especially among adolescents, increased drastically.
In 1988 the proportion of adolescent hashish smokers in Alaska was double
that of all other states in the USA.
As a consequence, a public vote in 1990 repealed the decriminalization
measure.
"Harm Reduction" has become the focus of drug
strategies in Western Europe with spill over into other countries.
Unbeknown to most Canadians, Canada has also shifted from the goal of a
drug free approach towards the "harm reduction" approach.
This shift in policy has occurred quietly over time, with little if any
input from the majority of Canadians.
Of serious concern to the CPA are the confusing and often conflicting
messages that are being delivered to young people, who are the primary target of
the illicit drug trade.
Prevention — Reducing Demand
Governments fulfill a legitimate and critical role in
establishing laws and policies that define behavioural standards and societal
values. Legislation and
enforcement are required proactive strategies to deter behaviour that places
individuals at risk.
The success of seatbelt legislation suggests that
legislative strategies are effective in supporting behavioural change.
Prior to seatbelt legislation in Canada, only an estimated 15% to 30% of
Canadians wore seatbelts. Today
it is estimated that more than 90% of drivers wear seatbelts.
These results reflect the influence that legislative action outside of
the health sector can have on the health of Canadians.
Risk of apprehension and meaningful consequences have also
been integral components of successful strategies to reduce impaired driving in
Canada. While the fight to
eliminate Impaired Driving may never be won, there is no disputing the fact that
strategies have been effective in changing behaviour and reducing risk.
Examples of similar initiatives to increase public safety
include bicycle and motorcycle helmet laws, school bus stopping laws, and boat
safety. Success is determined
by level of sustained commitment to programs that combine Public Awareness,
Education, Legislation, and Enforcement.
The Costs of Legalization Will Be
Astronomical
Canadian statistics clearly demonstrate that the costs of
Canada's alcohol and tobacco are more than thirteen times those of illicit
drugs. Enforcement for alcohol
related crime costs more than three times that of illicit drugs.
Direct Health Care Costs for alcohol and cigarettes are nearly 50 times
greater than those for illicit drugs.
Law enforcement costs for illicit drugs, including courts, corrections
and border protection, represent only 2 percent of the total costs to Canadians
of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs in Canada.
The primary reason costs are lower is simply lower usage.
As legalization and permissiveness will increase drug use and abuse
substantially, the costs of health care, prevention, productivity loss and
enforcement will increase proportionately.
While a balanced drug strategy will not completely
eradicate drug use; it is cost-effective and beneficial to society to deter drug
use, and focus available resources for prevention, treatment and rehabilitation
on the small percentage of the population who have the greatest need.
The Canadian Police Association
Opposes Legalization or "Decriminalization"
There is abundant proof that proponents of drug
legalization seek to "normalize" illicit drug use, through the
promotion of programs such as "Harm Reduction" over strategies to
reduce demand and supply. Yet,
Canada's balanced approach to drug use continues to have a significant positive
effect. We should not lose
sight of the fact that the overwhelming majority of Canadians have not used
illicit drugs in their lifetime.
Unfortunately, it is our youngest and most vulnerable
members of society who are at greatest risk.
Organized criminals continue target young Canadians as the primary market
for the sale of illegal drugs in Canada.
The United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime
Prevention, in a February 2000 presentation to the International Drug Control
Summit concerning Amphetamine Type Stimulants, suggested a five-prong approach
to prevent drug use:
Raise Awareness
Reduce Demand
Provide Accurate information
Limit Supply
Strengthen Controls
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