Is a drug overdose murder?
It’s called “drug-induced homicide.”
Twenty-four American states have specific laws targeting dealers who sell drugs that kill. These laws carry a sentence, depending on the state, of anywhere from two years imprisonment to the death penalty.
As the toxic drug crisis sweeps across North America, there has been a staggering increase in the number of those charges being laid in the U.S. The trend, undocumented before now, has extended to Canada.
A W5 open source investigation has compiled the first-ever national research on the move by some police agencies to treat an overdose death as a potential crime. Combing through a database of media reports, court filings, and in rare cases, police statistics, we have uncovered a 700 per cent increase in manslaughter and criminal negligence causing death charges against those who deal, and even those who share drugs that result in death. In 2016, we could find just nine instances. By 2019 that number increased to 65.
The spike is due, in large part, to a novel, yet controversial approach to the overdose epidemic by Canada’s second largest police service, the Ontario Provincial Police. In 2018, the OPP developed a new policy to treat every overdose death as not just a medical call, but also a potential murder.
Chief Supt. Brian MacKillop is the architect of the mandate and says people who peddle what he calls “doses of death,” need to pay the price if someone dies.
“We have criminals out there who, with complete reckless disregard for the safety of our citizens, are peddling drugs that are killing people. And we just needed to do something to make sure we were holding people accountable. There's no ifs, ands or buts about it. Iff a person's dealing fentanyl, they could very well be killing people.”
But does the punitive action do anything to save lives or stem the crisis? The U.S. non-profit Drug Policy Alliance says, categorically, that it does not.
“There has not been a shred of evidence that these laws are effective at doing anything. They're certainly not reducing supply, they're not reducing demand. And we know that overdose deaths are increasing across the country,” says policy director Lindsay LaSalle.
Their ground-breaking research, has found that most often those facing charges are friends, family members or low-level dealers who are themselves struggling with addiction. LaSalle says the approach to punish them is all wrong.
“You're attacking it from the wrong side. You are trying to go after the supply when the demand still exists, rather than trying to figure out what is ultimately underlying this demand and how can we provide services so that that demand doesn't exist rather than criminalizing the people who are simply supplying.”
For more information about addiction, go to albertusproject.org
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Local Spotlight
Marmot in the city: New resident of North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale a 'rock star rodent'
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
Relocated seal returns to Greater Victoria after 'astonishing' 204-kilometre trek
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Ottawa barber shop steps away from Parliament Hill marks 100 years in business
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
'It was a special game': Edmonton pinball player celebrates high score and shout out from game designer
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
'How much time do we have?': 'Contamination' in Prairie groundwater identified
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
'Why not do it together?': Lifelong friends take part in 'brosectomy' in Vancouver
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
Grain-gobbling bears spark 'no stopping' zone in Banff National Park
A popular highway in Alberta's Banff National Park now has a 'no stopping zone' to help protect two bears.
Deer family appears to accept B.C. man as one of their own
B.C. resident Robert Conrad spent thousands of hours on Crown land developing an unusual bond with deer.
Doorbell video shows family of black bears scared off by dog in Sudbury, Ont.
A Sudbury woman said her husband was bringing the recycling out to the curb Wednesday night when he had to make a 'mad dash' inside after seeing a bear.