'Health care over handcuffs': B.C. first to decriminalize simple drug possession
The federal government has announced that starting early next year, British Columbia will be the first province in Canada to decriminalize possession of small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use.
The decision comes after the B.C. government requested an exemption under the federal Controlled Drugs and Subtances Act, which makes it an offence to possess most illicit substances even in small amounts.
Starting Jan. 31, 2023, B.C. adults found to be carrying up to 2.5 grams of certain drugs including opioids, cocaine and methamphetamine will not be subject to arrest or charges, and the drugs won’t be seized.
Instead, police will provide information on available services and if requested, support in connecting with those services.
“Decriminalizing the simple possession of drugs is a historic, brave and groundbreaking step in the fight to save lives. It marks a fundamental re-thinking of drug policy that favours health-care over handcuffs,” said Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has been a longtime advocate of decriminalization.
“Today is a very important day. It is hard to believe that we have actually gotten here,” said Henry.
While the possession for personal use law was rarely enforced by police, Henry says the exemption is less about legal consequences than reducing stigma and shame around illicit drug use.
“Because of that risk of being labeled a criminal, losing their job, not being able to get an apartment, not being able to travel, things like losing their children, it keeps them from talking to their family and friends about their drug use. And that keeps them from accessing services,” said Henry.
B.C.’s minister of mental health and addiction, Sheila Malcolmson, said stigma and secrecy about substance use kills. “Shame and fear keep people from accessing the care that they need, and fear of being criminalization has led many people to hide their addiction and use drugs alone. And using alone can mean dying alone,” she said.
The province had requested a 4.5-gram personal use exemption from the federal government. The co-founder of Moms Stop the Harm, Leslie McBain, is concerned the cumulative 2.5 grams of illicit drugs that will be allowed isn’t enough for some addicts who use more than that per day.
“The more times you have to access this illicit supply, the more chances you have of having an overdose or death. So that’s why 2.5 grams is not practical, it is not what people who use drugs need to hear,” said McBain.
She does agree it will reduce the stigma around drug use. But McBain believes the key to reducing deaths is a safe, regulated supply.
“Decriminalization is a step to getting there, but in and of itself it will not save lives,” said McBain who lost her son Jordan to an overdose in 2014. Illicit drugs have become much more lethal since then. “We are losing our loved ones at rates that are almost beyond belief,“ she said.
The personal use exemption applies to all adults 18 years and older within the jurisdictional boundaries of B.C., except on elementary and secondary school grounds, on the premises of licensed child care families, in airports, and on Canadian Coast Guard vessels and helicopters.
Health Canada says the province of B.C. will use the eight months leading up to the start of the exemption to speak to impacted groups and train law enforcement.
Possession for the purpose of trafficking, production or export of any of the drugs listed under the exemption is still illegal, no matter the amount.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Golf season a summer tourism driver in Canada
Golf is a sign of spring and summer and a major driver for seasonal tourism, experts say.