Total systems failure: police officers’ perspectives on the impacts of the justice, health, and social service systems on people who use drugs

Police in Canada have become main responders to behavioural health concerns in the community—a role that disproportionately harms people who use drugs (PWUD). Recent calls to defund the police emphasize the need to shift responsibility for non-criminal health issues from police to health and social services. This study explores the role of police interactions in responding to PWUD within the broader institutional and structural contexts in which they operate.

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Butler, A., Zakimi, N. & Greer, A. Total systems failure: police officers’ perspectives on the impacts of the justice, health, and social service systems on people who use drugs. Harm Reduct J 19, 48 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-022-00629-1

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