This writing assignment is for a third-year Introduction to Criminology course in
Saskatchewan Canada
Background:
For decades, criminologists and public health experts have critiqued laws that criminalize
the possession and use of illegal substances, suggesting that imposing criminal penalties
for what should be approached as a public health issue does not correspond with notions of
justice.
Dating back to the establishment of Vancouver’s Insite in 2003, harm reduction initiatives
centered around giving people who are addicted to harmful substances a safe environment
in which to use narcotics – through methods such as providing clean items with which to
use substances and having healthcare professionals on site – have been argued to reduce
instances of overdose and death, reduce the spread of disease and provide additional
services to those who use harmful substances.
Following the expansion of harm reduction services dating back to 2020, the Provincial
Government of Saskatchewan implemented policies, in February of 2024, restricting health
care workers from any longer providing a range of harm reduction services. This policy is
based on a moral absolutist perspective that refuses to support initiatives that do not strictly involve substance users ceasing to use harmful substances.
Healthcare providers and experts have spoken out against these changes. Beyond noting
these policies endanger the lives of substance users and prevent initiatives to reduce the
spread of disease transmission, these spokespeople advocate for a moral relativist
perspective recognizing that there will always be people who use illegal substances, and
therefore will always be a market for illegal substances.
This assignment should be five pages in length (double-spaced, excluding the cover page and reference page) and must include the following three sections below
A clear and concise hypothesis statement (“this paper will…”) must be included
This second writing assignment will require you to draw from local media reports to
elaborate on the new policies implemented by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Heath and
the controversy surrounding them, seek out peer-reviewed academic resources
discussing benefits and drawbacks associated with harm reduction policies to inform your position on whether these services should be provided, and a critical assessment of the
constitutionality of policies prohibiting harm reduction initiatives.
This case study will consist of three sections
Section One:
– One section where you draw from local news publications to discuss the policy initiatives
undertaken by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health and the basis for criticism of these
policies by healthcare professionals and experts.
– Minimum of two local (Saskatchewan, Canada) news media resources
Section Two:
– One section where you draw from at least four appropriate academic resources to
identify and contrast between positive and negative outcomes associated with the
presence of harm reduction programs for substance-dependent populations.
– Here, you will want to discuss your thoughts on whether demonstrated problems associated with providing harm reduction services are more significant than problems associated with restricting them and how this informs your approval or disapproval of the implementation
of harm reduction initiatives.
– Minimum of two appropriate academic resources (peer-reviewed academic journal
articles or books from reputable publishers)
Section Three:
– One section where you critically reflect on whether policies that prohibit people who use
substances from having access to harm reduction services should be declared
unconstitutional given the contents of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and determine whether you feel the Supreme Court of Canada should or should not prohibit the
Saskatchewan government’s policies from being enforced.
– This section does not require any resources, but you will want to provide as much clarity
and detail as possible as you consider this aspect of the assignment. If you are unsure of
how to get started with this section of the paper, I strongly recommend you seek out past
cases that have set precedents around these topics…
*I have attached articles that I have found that will be useful; feel free to look for others
that might be useful for the information as well
Saskatchewan Media Sources:
1. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/nurses-doctors-harm-reduction-1.7093283
2. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/sask-overdose-drug-toxicity-jan-feb-2024-1.7138600
3. https://globalnews.ca/news/10258753/harm-reduction-sites-angry-as-sask-government-halts-support-for-free-drug-paraphernalia/
4. https://regina.ctvnews.ca/continued-resistance-saskatchewan-government-won-t-fund-supervised-consumption-1.6619808
5. https://leaderpost.com/news/politics/minister-suggests-old-drug-policy-wasnt-working-amid-increase-in-hiv-overdoses
6. https://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12954-024-00966-3
Articles:
1) “Patient perspectives on a harm reduction-oriented addiction medicine consultation team implemented in a large acute care hospital”
2) “Virtual opioid agonist treatment: Alberta’s virtual opioid dependency program and
outcomes”
3) “Safer opioid supply via a biometric dispensing machine: A qualitative study of barriers,
facilitators and associated outcomes”
4) “Telling our stories: Heroin-assisted treatment and SNAP activism in the Downtown
Eastside of Vancouver”
5) “Community trial evaluating the integration of Indigenous healing practices and harm
reduction approach with principles of seeking safety in an Indigenous residential
treatment program in Northern Ontario”
6) “A preliminary assessment of short-term social and substance use-related outcomes
among clients of integrated safer opioid supply pilot programs in Toronto, Candaa”
7) “Supervised injection facilities as harm reduction: A systemic review”
8) “Clinical outcomes and health care costs among people entering a safer opioid supply
program in Ontario”
