We understand that Bill C-7, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, will be returning to the Health subcommittee for in camera hearings next week.

This Foundation has stated its strong opposition to Bill C-7, at least in the form in which it was introduced on February 2, 1994. Although we understand that several changes have been made to the Bill since then, we also understand that the Bill remains strongly rooted in the application of the criminal law. We remain deeply concerned that the Bill, if it applies this prohibitionist philosophy, will further the harms associated with drugs in Canada.

The continued application of the criminal law to drugs ignores effective and humane alternatives being applied in other democratic countries. We urge Parliamentarians to be open to other means of reducing the harms associated with drugs, both for the individual user and for society as a whole. A continuing reliance on the criminal law, in face of clear evidence of the damage caused by prohibition, is tragically misguided.

We urge the Members of Parliament who will be voting on this Bill to consider the harms that they will inflict -- unless the Bill has been substantially modified to move away from prohibition -- by enacting this legislation.

Eugene Oscapella
Founding Member
Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy

home page