NDP TABLES NEW LEGISLATION DEALING WITH THE ACUTELY INTOXICATED
The Yukon New Democratic Party caucus wants to see public intoxication destigmatized and a reduced role for the RCMP in dealing with the acutely intoxicated, says NDP leader Liz Hanson.
“Today we are tabling a Private Member’s Bill, entitled Acutely Intoxicated Persons (Care and Protection) Bill, that would help address the flaws and gaps in our current laws around public intoxication,” Hanson adds. “This legislation, which is based on Manitoba’s, is not only saving lives, it is saving taxpayer dollars.”
The Task Force on Acutely Intoxicated Persons at Risk has said the current model we are using to manage acutely intoxicated persons at risk functions entirely within the domain of law enforcement. That responsibility needs to be shared with others, such as caregivers and outreach workers.
“The task force says we should rewrite the aged legislation that authorizes non-criminal detention for intoxication to bring it more in line with current social mores and accepted human rights,” Hanson says.
“It also says the new legislation should define more precisely under what circumstances an acutely intoxicated person can be detained, what services will be provided to them and what conditions must be met to cease the detention.”
The Yukon Liquor Act (Sections 91 and 92) does not do this.
The task force says changing the liquor act is ‘a markedly inferior option.’ It wants the government to write new legislation to make the rules under which we detain someone to be consistent with the standards of today.
The task force also says society’s understanding of the ramifications of acute intoxication is far deeper than it was when our current legislation was written. It adds that our human rights standards have significantly changed.
“We need to create better and more applicable legislation,” Hanson says. “The bill we tabled today will help do that. It’s not the only thing we need to do. But it is a good start, and something the task force says we need in the Yukon.”
Read the Acutely Intoxicated Persons (Care and Protection) Act