‘Craziest thing I’ve ever heard,’ Doug Ford says of decriminalizing drugs in Toronto | 24CA News
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says Toronto’s utility to decriminalize medicine is the “craziest thing” he’s ever heard and he plans to do all the pieces he can to battle it.
Ford made the remarks throughout an interview with radio host Alex Pierson on 640 Toronto Friday.
The premier mentioned numerous subjects throughout the interview, together with protected injection websites and Toronto’s utility to have medicine decriminalized within the metropolis for private use.
On the subject of decriminalizing medicine, Ford mentioned it’s the “craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Go out to Vancouver, go out to San Francisco,” he mentioned, referring to these cities’ drug crises.
“I’ll do all the pieces I can to battle this. Again, this goes as much as the federal authorities. They can’t be following up with a request.
“It would be an absolute disaster for our city.”
Earlier this 12 months, Toronto up to date its decriminalization request to the federal authorities, clarifying it desires a Health Canada exemption to cowl younger folks in addition to adults, and all medicine for private use.
The metropolis’s submission, an replace to its preliminary January 2022 request, signifies Toronto desires the federal company to go additional than the exemption it not too long ago granted to British Columbia below the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
It makes clear the town desires its exemption to use to all medicine for private use and defend younger folks from criminalization, a departure from the B.C. exemption, which solely applies to adults and lists a choose variety of substances.
Medical officer of well being Dr. Eileen de Villa mentioned on the time that the submission despatched to Health Canada, co-signed by the town’s police chief and metropolis supervisor, is a “made-in-Toronto” mannequin reflective of a months-long session course of.
“We’re talking about a matter of health and a matter of human rights, not one that really is meant to be addressed or is best addressed with a criminal justice approach,” she mentioned in an interview. “That’s why we’re pursuing this route.”
Global News reached out to Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow’s workplace for remark Friday however didn’t hear again by the point of publication.
In the interview, Ford additionally commented on protected injection websites within the metropolis.
Last week, a battle broke out subsequent to a protected injection website in Toronto’s Leslieville neighbourhood. A mom of two younger kids, 44-year-old Karolina Huebner-Makurat, died after she was hit by stray bullets from the battle. Area residents had expressed security considerations in regards to the protected injection website within the months main as much as the taking pictures.
Witnesses informed Global News the suspects concerned within the taking pictures had been on the website dealing medicine.
Ford mentioned protected injection websites have to be in compliance with guidelines and if not, they are going to be shut down.
Caroline Huebner-Makurat.
Supplied
He mentioned functions to open websites are topic to “rigorous screening,” together with proof of group help, and plans to deal with group considerations on an ongoing foundation. But he mentioned if the group doesn’t need a website, “it shouldn’t be there.”
“I’ve directed our team to look into this site and to make sure they’re in compliance. If they aren’t in compliance, that’s it. They’re done,” he mentioned.
Ford mentioned these fighting drug use ought to get therapy.
“These people need to go to a treatment centre,” he mentioned.
“Putting a safe injection site into a community — what does it attract? It attracts drug dealers. It’s unacceptable.”
Ford informed 640 Toronto he’s going to make extra beds obtainable for drug habit therapy.
“So that’s what we’re doing. We’re going to go full steam on this and I’ll be able to come back on after we review this and tell you exactly what we’re going to be doing,” Ford mentioned.
Ford mentioned it’s finally as much as the City of Toronto to make sure protected consumption websites are in compliance with guidelines.
Toronto Coun. Paula Fletcher, who represents the ward the place the killing of Huebner-Makurat came about, beforehand informed 640 Toronto that she has been asking the injection website and police to work extra carefully collectively. She mentioned the connection between the 2 must “be improved immediately.”
Fletcher mentioned the location hasn’t been listening to the “great concerns of the community.”
She mentioned she additionally directed group members to talk with the group liaison on the website to specific considerations, however famous that the location is a provincial centre working below a federal exemption.
Ford mentioned it was opened years in the past below the Liberal authorities.
“I can’t reach into that centre the way I would if it was a city centre of some kind,” she mentioned.
“So I have to say to the board of that centre, to the staff of that centre, you’re not listening. You have to sort this out immediately with the community. I don’t know where this is going to end up, but the city can’t close this place down. We don’t have that jurisdiction.”
The premier additionally known as for harder bail legal guidelines in his interview with 640 Toronto, saying the federal authorities’s invoice that goals to reform the bail system must be handed as rapidly as attainable. He mentioned he was disillusioned to see that it wasn’t handed earlier than the federal government’s summer time break.
It was revealed Thursday {that a} man going through a second-degree homicide cost within the dying of Huebner-Makurat was out on bail and has a prolonged prison historical past.
Ford additionally claimed that if there have been extra law enforcement officials in communities, among the crime that has occurred might’ve been averted.
— with recordsdata from Catherine McDonald and The Canadian Press
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
