On Jan. 14, B.C. NDP Minister of Health Josie Osborne stated that the province would be stopping its drug decriminalization project at the end of the month. This project has been in operation for the past three years on a trial basis, and has enabled people to carry small doses of illegal drugs, and attempted to remove stigma surrounding usage, which prevented users from seeking aid due to fears of prosecution.
The project was first created in 2016 after a public health emergency was declared in response to B.C.’s drug crisis, which is responsible for thousands of deaths caused by overdose. However, Osborne claimed that the reason for shutting down the project was because the results failed to meet the initial objective to save lives.
However, SFU Professor of Public Policy, Dr. Kora DeBeck, told ***CBC* that this discontinuation signals a further lack of understanding of the drug crisis.
“I felt that really the overall announcement was, in a large way, a move away from evidence-informed policy and the reality and challenges that we have with the toxic drug crisis.”
Beginning Jan. 31, police will be able to enforce the Controlled Drug and Substances act fully, and anyone carrying illegal substances may be prosecuted.
