The 'drug war' has been misguided by overemphasizing supply, while criminalizing demand rather than being rational about it.
"This is a huge stride in terms of criminalizing demand but if there's anything on the books that could mean prostituted women face charges, that's concerning".
We at the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women have long called for the adoption of Sweden's legal approach to prostitution and sex trafficking, which criminalizes the demand for commercial sexual exploitation.
Carabinero special forces were flown into Aysén, subsequently supplying social media with a steady stream of images of shocking brutality, reinforcing the impression of a government that, as one observer wrote, "criminalizes social demands".
Ultimately, while drug use is criminalized, that demand side is unlikely to be addressed.
This is in keeping with a federal policy of criminalizing the demand side of the equation with the advent of Bill C-36, or the "Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act," which targets buyers and makes it illegal for third parties to advertise sex workers all in the name of keeping society and sex workers safe from sex trafficking and dirty, dirty johns.
They had no trouble declaring "we share reservations on this paragraph," in the context of a demand to criminalize profiling.
The aim of the legislation, which mirrors a widely praised model policy originating from Sweden, is to "reduce demand" by criminalizing the procurement of sexual services.
Homeless people and their advocates across the United States are pushing back against cities' attempts to erase the problem of homelessness by criminalizing it, and demanding that their basic rights be recognized and protected.
Collectively, we must continue to demand a criminal justice system that uses its resources responsibly and does not criminalize people based on the color of their skin, their political activism, their religious beliefs or to whom they were married.
