Toronto's board of health will call on the federal government to decriminalize all drugs for personal use.
The board was presented today with a report by Toronto's medical officer of health urging the city to call on the government to treat drug use as a public health issue, rather than a criminal one.
Based on Dr. Eileen de Villa's report, the board of health decided to call on the federal government to convene a task force "to explore options for the legal regulation of all drugs in Canada, based on a public health approach."
De Villa says the report was triggered by the ongoing opioid problem that has swept the country.
In 2017, there were 303 opioid overdose related deaths in Toronto, which the report says marks a 63 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
Health Canada says the government is not currently looking at decriminalizing or legalizing all drugs.
