On Wrong Behaviours Related to Drug Abuse, Why Can’t We Just Say ‘No?’

Commentary “Defining deviancy down” is a cultural philosophy that emerged in the United States during the 1990s. It refers to society’s tendency to adjust its standards of deviancy “down,” so that behaviours which were once unacceptable become acceptable. Over time, this newly acceptable behaviour can even become society’s norm. Of course, the converse must also be true—society looks down on those who label social behaviours “wrong,” deeming them moralistic, judgmental, or simply out of touch with the realities of modern life. Thirty years later, this philosophy is entrenched in British Columbia politics and policies. The province has become a society that cannot say “no” to harmful or wrong behaviours related to drug use. It doesn’t matter if you view drug use as a medical issue, a law-and-order issue, or both—we have lost the ability to simply say “no” to harmful or wrong behaviour....