2. WHAT’S UP WITH DRUGS?  Fact: People in
Canada use drugs!
 In 2010, 25% of the
 A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance people in Canada ages
that, when absorbed into the body of a living 15-24 used marijuana
organism, alters normal bodily function. at least once.
 42% of Ontario
 Some drugs are legal & some are illegal. students surveyed
have used an illicit
 People are treated very differently for the substance in the last
different drugs they use. The substances some year.
people chose to use can create stigma. One  83% of Ontario
person using drugs may be considered a students in grade 12
criminal, while another person using a different drink alcohol. 49% of
drug may be deemed A-OK due to the legality or gr. 12 students admit to
the social acceptance of the drug. binge drinking.

3. DRUG USERS …CRIMINALS?
 As you can see, people all over use drugs. It can be
anything from cocaine to coffee, we have all
probably come in contact with one substance be it
legal or illegal at a point in our lives.
 Drug policy in Canada is moving towards harsher
sentencing and looks at all drug users as criminals
that need to be put behind bars instead of human
beings making their own health choices.
 With the new Bill C-10 law that the conservative
government is attempting to pass, everyday-people
like you and I could be put in jail for the most
minimal of possession charges.
 Throwing people in jails does NOT solve crime. It
tears apart communities and costs millions of
dollars in tax payers money.
"I teach a criminology course at the University of
Ottawa, Eighty percent of my students [would be] criminals
under [Bill C-10]. About 10-20% of them would be liable for a
mandatory minimum sentence of two years for simply passing
a tablet of ecstasy at a party.”

4. JAIL: NOT THE ANSWER
 For every $5 spent on drug rehabilitation by the Canadian
government, $95 is spent on incarceration of drug users.
 Imagine how much money we could save if we switched gears on working with
drug users instead of incarcerating them?
 Among the over 100,000 drug-related incidents identified by
police in 2007, 62% involved cannabis. Of these, three-quarters
were for possession.
 Think of all the other good things police could have been doing to better our
communities instead of going after petty possession charges.
Greg Simmons, who sold and used drugs during his 20
years in prison, told CBC News his supply came from
visitors, guards, volunteers and staff. Now clean and
working in a Toronto youth centre, Simmons said the
prison environment pushes many people into using

5. HARM REDUCTION: KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!
 Harm Reduction is essentially the act of reducing harms.
Harm Reduction Attitudes:
 We may not be able to stop the use of drugs, but we can keep people safer. A
person is entitled to make their own decisions on what substances they chose
to use. What we can do is provide them with reliable and honest information
about health and safety so that they can make informed decisions for
themselves!
What are some Harm Reduction methods?
 Supplies: condoms, seat belts, methadone, needle exchanges, safer injection
sites, monitoring your own drug use, spreading knowledge and
awareness, educating & empowering others!

6. BUT WHAT CAN WE DO?
 Change Policy!
 Write to politicians, vote against politicians attempting push these
counterproductive crime bills, sign petitions, let your country know that you are
NOT ok with emerging drug laws and that you WANT change.
 Educate others!
 Many schools teach abstinence only education. These “Just say no” campaigns
DO NOT WORK. Knowledge is power, so educate your peers and encourage
schools to educate their students on drugs as well. Some schools DO provide
harm reduction presentations and workshops. Encourage these! Always
remember that Instead of telling people WHAT to do encourage the
empowerment for others. Encourage the use of critical thinking to formulate
thoughts and opinions so that we can all make our own life choices!
 Encourage friends to use harm reduction supplies, and spread the world to keep
our communities safer!
When learning about drugs remember that having reliable
sources is KEY! Check out these sites for honest and
reliable drug info!
www.tripproject.ca
www.erowid.org

7. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! I HOPE YOU FOUND
MY PRESENTATION ENGAGING AND
INFORMATIVE!