Why B.C. is making drugs illegal in public again | About That
Summary
TLDRBritish Columbia's pilot project to decriminalize hard drugs like cocaine and heroin has faced criticism for its unintended consequences. The initiative aimed to reduce stigma and treat addiction as a health issue, but it led to increased public drug use and safety concerns. Despite the rise in overdose-related calls and deaths, treatment capacity remains limited. The province is now seeking to amend the law to make public drug use illegal again, while still allowing possession in private and safe injection sites.
Takeaways
- 🚫 **Decriminalization Reversal**: British Columbia is considering making public drug use illegal again after decriminalization led to increased public consumption.
- 🌐 **Global First**: This is Canada's first large-scale attempt at drug decriminalization, marking a significant policy experiment.
- 🏥 **Health Concerns**: The rise in public drug use has raised health concerns, especially for vulnerable groups like hospital patients and workers.
- 👮♂️ **Police Concerns**: The British Columbia Association of Chiefs of Police has expressed significant concern over the increase in public drug consumption.
- 📈 **Record Deaths**: Despite decriminalization, British Columbia saw a record number of drug-related deaths, with over 2500 in the first year of the pilot.
- 🆘 **Overdose Spike**: Overdose-related 911 calls increased by 25%, marking the largest jump on record.
- 🏠 **Public Spaces Impacted**: Open drug use in public spaces like parks, restaurants, and hospitals has become a significant issue.
- 💊 **Treatment Challenges**: There has been a lack of increase in treatment options, with long waits for inpatient programs and rehab.
- 🏛️ **Legal Shift**: The amendment would still allow for possession of small amounts of drugs in private residences and safe injection sites, but not in public.
- 📉 **Stigma Not Reduced**: Despite the intention to reduce stigma, some drug users feel that the situation has gotten worse, not better.
Q & A
What was the initial goal of drug decriminalization in British Columbia?
-The goal was to remove the stigma around addiction, encourage people to seek help without fear of arrest, and treat addiction as a health issue rather than a criminal one.
What was the British Columbia Association of Chiefs of Police's concern regarding public drug consumption?
-They were concerned about the rise in public consumption of illicit drugs, leading to issues like increased homelessness and open drug use in public spaces, which was becoming a problem especially in cities like Vancouver.
How did the public drug use affect the community and health workers?
-Public drug use led to safety issues and health concerns, including exposure to secondhand smoke and toxins, which affected not only drug users but also the general public and health workers.
What was the reported incident involving a nurse and a patient smoking an illicit substance in a hospital?
-A nurse in Vancouver found a patient smoking an illicit substance in her ward upon returning from maternity leave, leading to severe exposure that required emergency care and advice to stop breastfeeding her infant.
What was the impact of decriminalization on drug-related deaths and overdose calls in British Columbia?
-The province saw a record number of drug-related deaths and a 25% increase in overdose-related 911 calls, marking the biggest jump on record.
What was the expectation regarding treatment and recovery under the decriminalization pilot?
-The expectation was that decriminalization would lead to better treatment, more recovery, fewer overdoses, and fewer deaths.
How did the actual data on opioid Agonist treatment prescriptions compare to the expectations?
-The data showed that the number of people receiving prescriptions for opioid Agonist treatment in December 2023 was about the same as the previous year, indicating no significant increase in treatment seeking.
What was the criticism regarding the province's approach to treatment capacity before decriminalization?
-Critics argued that the province should have built up treatment capacity first to ensure they could help everyone who wanted help before implementing decriminalization.
What changes is British Columbia seeking with the amendment to the decriminalization pilot?
-The amendment aims to make public drug use illegal again, allowing police to compel users to leave public places, seize their drugs, and arrest them if necessary.
What has been the reaction from other provinces to British Columbia's experience with decriminalization?
-Other provinces, like Ontario, are concerned and are considering fighting against similar projects, fearing the same issues of increased public drug use and its consequences.
Outlines
⚖️ Decriminalizing Drugs in British Columbia: A Risky Move
British Columbia’s decision to decriminalize hard drugs like cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine was seen as a bold experiment, but after a year, the province is reconsidering its approach. The law aimed to remove the stigma around addiction, encouraging people to seek help without fear of arrest. However, public drug use has become widespread, leading to serious issues like open drug use in public spaces, including parks and hospitals. Even drug users and the police express concern about the lack of control and negative effects on public safety.
🚨 Record Overdose Deaths and Strain on Emergency Services
In the first year of decriminalization, British Columbia saw a record number of drug-related deaths, with over 2,500 deaths and a surge in overdose-related 911 calls. Emergency services experienced unprecedented levels of demand, with some days seeing over 150 calls. Critics argue that while decriminalization may have been well-intentioned, the province was not prepared with adequate treatment programs to support those seeking help. Long waits for rehabilitation and inpatient programs have further hindered the province's response, leaving critics questioning the execution of the policy.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Decriminalization
💡Stigma
💡Public Consumption
💡Homelessness
💡Overdose
💡Opioid Agonist Treatment
💡Inpatient Programs
💡Rehabilitation
💡Health Canada
💡Safe Injection Sites
💡Treatment Capacity
Highlights
Decriminalizing hard drugs in British Columbia was seen as a risky move from the start.
Amendment to make public drug use illegal in British Columbia suggests the initial approach was too hasty.
The goal of drug decriminalization was to reduce stigma and treat addiction as a health issue.
Public opinion was initially supportive of the pilot project to decriminalize drugs.
Police reported significant concerns regarding the increase in public drug consumption.
The British Columbia Association of Chiefs of Police noted a rise in homelessness and open drug use.
Premiere's concerns include open drug use in public spaces like parks and hospitals.
Drug users themselves acknowledge that things have gotten out of control post-decriminalization.
There's a safety issue for non-drug users due to secondhand smoke from drugs.
Healthcare workers are alarmed by patients smoking illicit substances in hospitals.
Nurses are afraid to work due to exposure to drug users in hospitals.
Studies on the health impact of secondhand smoke from illicit drugs are limited.
The Province saw a record number of drug-related deaths in the first year of the pilot.
Overdose-related 911 calls increased by 25%, the biggest jump on record.
There were 36 days in 2023 where BC emergency services received over 150 calls.
The idea that decriminalization would lead to more people seeking treatment hasn't fully materialized.
The number of people receiving opioid Agonist treatment has not significantly increased.
Long waits for inpatient programs and rehab are a barrier for those seeking help.
Critics argue that treatment capacity should have been increased before decriminalization.
The opposition claims that the increase in treatment beds has been minimal.
The amendment request to revert some decriminalization aspects is currently with Health Canada for approval.
Other provinces, like Ontario, are wary of following BC's example with decriminalization.
Transcripts
decriminalizing the possession of hard
drugs like cocaine heroin meth British
Columbia always knew it was a risky move
but now Canada's first attempt at a
project on this scale they say we moved
too fast it's not working we need to
walk it back in short this amendment
will make public drug use illegal in
British Columbia it's a major shift in
year one of a three-year pilot so let's
try to understand how BC's experiment
has fallen
short the goal of drug decriminalization
is to remove the stigma around addiction
to encourage people to reach out for
help without fear of being arrested and
to treat addiction as a health issue not
a criminal one do you think this law
then today is going to take away some of
that sick stigma so that you can't get I
really it's a stigma that needs to be
taken away it's so it's so hurtful at
the time when the BC pilot launched a
lot of people thought it was a good idea
a compassionate move to help those
struggling let's bring drug use out of
the Shadows into the open but according
to police it was a little too open the
British Columbia Association of chiefs
of police has expressed significant
concern with the issue of public
consumption of illicit drugs during the
pandemic we did see a rise in the
homelessness population and we also saw
people with
addictions starting to use drugs more
openly people are seeing people doing
drugs in public uh families in front of
children uh people at bus stops and so
with
decriminalization there's a feeling that
some of these things sort of exploded
BC's premere says open drug use in parks
in restaurants even in hospitals has
become a problem particularly in big
cities like Vancouver even some drug
users that CBC spoke to agree things
have gotten out of control everybody's
like going e like we can do anything we
want now so if they thought they were
helping them they're actually they they
hurt them 10 times more and this
according to the premere has become a
safety issue even for people who don't
do drugs themselves the drugs that we're
seeing in our communities are more
dangerous and more deadly than ever
before people have transitioned from
injecting drugs to nailing drugs the
impacts are very real on communities
what he's talking about there is
secondhand smoke the person doing the
drugs inhales them but you if you're
nearby breathe in some of the same
toxins something like meth can also find
its way into your bloodstream that way
and when that's happening in public
places restaurants on transit in parks
near children that's a problem according
to the BC nurses Union it's happened
several times where a patient is smoking
and the nurse is exposed in hospital one
nurse in Vancouver reportedly returned
from maternity leave to find a patient
smoking an illicit substance in her Ward
and that exposure was apparently so
severe she needed emergency care and was
advised to stop breastfeeding her infant
this has been causing a lot of alarm and
a lot of concern for health workers who
are trying to to navigate around this
issue now there aren't nearly as many
studies about second smoke from illicit
drugs as there are about say tobacco
smoke most health authorities seem to
agree though while you probably won't
overdose from secondhand smoke there can
still be a health impact especially for
vulnerable groups like those in Hospital
nurses are afraid to go to work because
they have to put up with addicts using
meth cracken weapons in their hospital
room even nurses are having to give up
on breastfeeding because they're worried
their kids will be contaminated with the
drugs they breathed and what the hell
they thinking over
there it's a conversation that's that's
long overdue but do I feel personally
that this is being politicized
absolutely so there's been a lot of
public and political pressure on the BC
Premier over the past few weeks and then
considered police they initially
supported the idea of
decriminalization but now the feedback
has been
unequivocal public consumption is a
significant issue that needs to be
addressed and major changes are required
according to officers it would happen
all the time they'd approach someone
using drugs and say something like sorry
you need to go somewhere else you're too
close to other people and when that
person refused they'd have no authority
to back up their request and police were
getting calls but they they felt that
their hands were tied so BC knew from
the start decriminalization would lead
to more drug use in public what they
regret was how it spiraled out of
control but even then the payoff was
supposed to be better treatment more
recovery fewer overdoses fewer deaths
did any of that pan
out in the first year of BC's pilot
decriminalizing hard drugs The Province
saw a record number of drug rated deaths
more than 2500 that's on average nearly
7 a day overdose related 911 calls also
went up 25% the biggest jump on record
and get this there were 36 Days in 2023
where BC emergency services got more
than 150 calls before last year there
were only 23 days ever across all years
where they had that many calls it's
staggering to see the elevation and the
amount of overdoses that we're seeing
still because I walk down the street on
a daily basis and I see people hunched
over and you know you can't tell if
they're alive or dead what about
treatment the idea is that if you
destigmatize drug use you get more
people seeking help one way to measure
that is to look at how many people
receed what's called opioid Agonist
treatment which can help you safely wean
off drugs so we're talking things like
methadone
buprenorphine the provincial data shows
so far just over 24,000 people in BC
received prescriptions for one of these
drugs in December 2023 about the same
number of people that did at that time a
year earlier meantime long waits for
inpatient programs longer term rehab are
also a barrier for some according to the
advocacy Group Canada drug rehab the
average weit time for a government
funded program in BC is 3 to 6 months
when a person reaches out for help you
have to strike while the iron's hot by
the time you they get back to you like
you don't want to go to rehab anymore
what critics say the province should
have done was build up their treatment
capacity
first then once they were confident that
they could help everyone that wanted
help then decriminalization could have
come into play what the opposition here
has been saying is that while the
provincial government has been adding
more treatment beds the increase is very
slight you know they've been pointing at
that and saying there should be more
treatment coupled with decriminalization
when the government had planned to bring
it in BC's request for an amendment now
sits with health Canada for approval
once passed small amounts of drugs would
still be legal in private residences and
at safe injection sites but police would
have the power to compel users to leave
public places to seize their drugs and
to arrest them if need be but this
course correction already has at least
one other Province shaking its head drop
that application has turned into a
nightmare like letting people do cocaine
and crack and hair one you got to be
kidding me Toronto is on track to start
a similar project decriminalizing
possession but Ontario's Premier Doug
Ford now vows to fight tooth and nail to
make sure Toronto doesn't fall into the
same trap
[Music]
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