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WORLD NEWS Diahuebs 2 Juni 2022

Canada OKs drug decriminalization test in British Columbia

By JIM MORRIS and ROB services.
GILLIES In 2020, Oregon voted to
Associated Press become the first U.S. state
VANCOUVER, British to decriminalize hard drugs.
Columbia (AP) — Can- Under the change, posses-
ada’s government said sion of controlled substances
Tuesday it will allow Brit- is a newly created Class E
ish Columbia to try a “violation,” instead of a felo-
three-year experiment in ny or misdemeanor. It carries
decriminalizing posses- a maximum $100 fine, which
sion of small amounts of can be waived if the person
drugs, seeking to stem a calls a hotline for a health as-
record number of over- sessment. The call can lead
dose deaths by easing fear to addiction counseling and
of arrest by users in need other services.
of help. Carolyn Bennett, federal
minister of mental health and
The policy approved by fed- addictions, said the experi-
eral officials doesn’t legalize ment in British Columbia
the substances, but Canadi- could serve as a template for
ans in the Pacific coast prov- other jurisdictions in Canada.
ince who possess up to 2.5 “This time-limited exemp-
grams of illicit drugs for per- tion is the first of its kind
sonal use will not be arrested The province’s health officer, “I think we need stores where model, a pharmacy model, in Canada,” she said. “Real-
or charged. Dr. Bonnie Henry, said that you can go in and find legal more of a compassion club time adjustments will be
The three-year exemption “we are taking an important heroin, legal cocaine and le- model ... rather than going made upon receiving analysis
taking effect Jan. 31 will ap- step forward to removing that gal ecstasy and things like down to 7-Eleven and buy- of any data that indicates a
ply to drug users 18 and fear and shame and stigma.” that for adults,” he said. “The ing heroin.” need to change.”
over and include opioids, “This is not one single thing real solution to this problem British Columbia is the first Since 2016, there have been
cocaine, methamphetamine that will reverse this crisis but is to treat it like alcohol and Canadian province to apply over 9,400 deaths due to
and MDMA, also known as it will make a difference,” she tobacco.” for an exemption from Cana- toxic illicit drugs in British
ecstasy. added. Alissa Greer, an assistant pro- da’s drug laws. Columbia, with a one-year
“Stigma and fear of crimi- Dana Larsen, a drug policy fessor at Simon Fraser Uni- In 2001, Portugal became the record of 2,224 in 2021.
nalization cause some people reform activist, called the an- versity who has a doctorate in first country in the world to Vancouver Mayor Kennedy
to hide their drug use, use nouncement “a step in the public health, said a regulated decriminalize the consump- Stewart said he gets emails
alone, or use in other ways right direction,” but said he decriminalization of drugs tion of all drugs. People every Monday on drug
that increase the risk of harm. would prefer to see develop- could help lessen overdose caught with less than a 10- deaths, including nine last
This is why the Government ment of a safe drug supply. deaths. day supply of any drug are week and 12 the week before.
of Canada treats substance “It’s not going to stop any- She said it would be good usually sent to a local com- He said one week it was his
use as a health issue, not a body dying of an overdose or for users to be able to obtain mission, consisting of a doc- own family member.
criminal one,” tweeted Dr. drug poisoning,” Larsen said. drugs from “a regulated sup- tor, lawyer and social worker, “I felt like crying, and I still
Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief “The drugs are still going to ply through various models, where they learn about treat- feel like crying. This is a big,
public health officer. be contaminated.” whether that’s a prescription ment and available medical big thing,” Stewart said.

Report: China bars Russian airlines with foreign planes

BEIJING (AP) — China update ownership informa- said, citing two unidentified lines that couldn’t provide aircraft were “de-registered
has barred Russia’s air- tion and other details, RBK sources. It said Russian air- documents showing their abroad” were barred from
lines from flying foreign- Chinese airspace.
owned jetliners into its
airspace, the Russian news The Civil Aviation Admin-
outlet RBK reported, after istration of China didn’t im-
President Vladimir Putin mediately respond to a re-
threw the aircrafts’ own- quest for confirmation and
ership into doubt by al- details of the decision.
lowing them to be re-reg-
istered in Russia to avoid President Xi Jinping’s gov-
seizure under sanctions ernment said in February it
over Moscow’s attack on has a “no limits” friendship
Ukraine. with Moscow but has tried
to distance itself from Pu-
The European Union, home tin’s war. Beijing has criti-
to major aircraft leasing com- cized Western sanctions but
panies, banned the sale or appears to be avoiding steps
lease of aircraft to Russian that might be seen as helping
carriers in February. Putin Moscow for fear of possible
responded by approving the penalties against Chinese
re-registration measure in companies.
March, which prompted sug-
gestions foreign owners may
never recover planes worth
billions of dollars.

China’s air regulator asked all
foreign carriers last month to