ArticleHarm reduction journal2024
Unpacking the Effects of Decriminalization: Understanding Drug Use Experiences and Risks among Individuals Who Use Drugs in British Columbia.
Article in Harm reduction journal, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Impact of drug decriminalization and recriminalization on drug-related crime and health outcomes in British Columbia: a population-level time-series analysis.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2026Article
- Access to health and harm reduction services during drug decriminalization in British Columbia, Canada: a mixed-method study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Social justice with harm reduction approaches for mothers who use opioids: an international comparative ethnographic study with community engaged methods.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- A major stakeholder in the lobbying efforts: the role of people who use drugs in the past and the current opioid crisis.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Drug decriminalization: a co-designed study outlining the implications for providers of youth services.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Stable patterns, shifting risks: the impact of British Columbia's decriminalization and recriminalization policies on drug use behaviours.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesOn January 31, 2023, a three-year exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act was granted to the Canadian province British Columbia (BC), allowing the cumulative possession of 2.5 g of specific unregulated drugs amongst adults. The goals of the policy are to reduce health, social, and economic harms associated with criminalization, stigma, drug overdose deaths, as well as drug seizures, arrests, and associated enforcement and court costs. As the inaugural year has passed, we aimed to assess people who use drugs' awareness and knowledge of the, as well as the policy's impact on their drug use patterns and overdose risk.
methodsWe conducted 100 telephone-based semi-structured interviews with people who use drugs from across BC, exploring changes in drug use experiences and perceived overdose risk since the implementation of the policy. Participants also completed an interviewer-administered survey assessing socio-demographics and substance use patterns. We utilized a qualitative content analysis approach to analyze the interview data.
resultsOur findings indicate a general awareness of the policy among participants, although some policy details were often misunderstood, and participants expressed the need for more widespread dissemination of policy information. While the majority of participants reported that their drug use patterns remained unchanged after decriminalization, some made subtle adjustments, such as carrying under the 2.5 g threshold to minimize the risk of criminalization. Participants highlighted several policy benefits and concerns, including its potential to reduce criminalization and stigmatization, but also increase public drug consumption. Participants offered suggestions for policy improvement.
conclusionThese findings underscore the need for ongoing monitoring of the impacts of decriminalization regarding its potential impact on people who use drugs' drug use patterns and related risks. Reevaluation of the possession threshold and efforts to enhance education and awareness about the policy could help achieve the policy's goals.
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