Evidence from British Columbia shows decriminalisation reduced police interference with access to harm reduction — a key public health objective.
Rolling it back didn’t correct failure. It reversed progress.
Full study:
Policing and access to harm reduction services among young people who use drugs and young Indigenous people who use drugs before and after the pilot implementation of decriminalization of personal possession
McAdam et al. examine how decriminalisation reduced policing-related barriers to services, revealing important benefits for young people, including Indigenous.
