Canada

Politicians have had almost 15 years since the drug crisis started in earnest to do something.

What they did was implement a "let'er rip!" non-enforcement strategy that, without supports, housing or healthcare, was basically pouring gasoline on the pre-existing fire. Addicts weren't going to get help, but they were going to get even fewer speedbumps on the road to letting addiction ruin everything for them and around them.

And politicians did this because choosing not to enforce anything while simultaneously not providing supports was the cheapest option. It required doing even less than they were doing at the time, and it let them get kudos for being so progressive and forward looking.

Jump forward fifteen years or so and the toxic fruits have come to bear.

Clamping down on SCS is just another way to avoid spending money fixing the problem.

I think politicians are getting very close to being handed a mandate from the public that doesn’t include “good” solutions but mean, punitive ones.