British Columbia’s NDP Premier David Eby is facing criticism for remaining committed to his government’s controversial drug decriminalization policy amid mounting criticism.
Mr. Eby’s policy advocacy come Federal Mental Health and Addictions Minister Yaara Sachs to discuss growing concerns and controversy surrounding a three-year pilot program that would decriminalize the simple possession of up to 2.5 grams of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, or MDMA. He is planning to visit B.C. .
“It’s an incredibly difficult problem. We’re trying to keep people alive and get them into primary treatment. We’ve opened hundreds of new treatment beds this year alone,” Eby told CTV News this week. Ta.
“We have tried to put in place systems that recognize some of the impacts of the ongoing toxic drug crisis, such as public drug use by some individuals, and we are not going to leave it alone.” ”
Sachs’ office said in a statement that his government “has indicated from the beginning that B.C.’s exemptions (to the Controlled Substances Act) will be rigorously monitored and evaluated.”
Federal Conservative Party leader Pierre Poièvre also slammed Eby this week, calling his drug decriminalization policies “radical” and “dangerous.” He also criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for inciting it.
“They are the ones who brought about decriminalization. Mr. Eby demanded it, Mr. Trudeau granted it, and both countries are putting their tax dollars into heroin-grade opioids that are killing people and getting their children addicted to them.” Poièvre said.
Adam Gibo, director of the Center for Responsible Drug Policy, said Eby is clinging to ideology rather than science.
“The fact that the Prime Minister is putting more emphasis on drug decriminalization is worrying,” Mr Dzibo said. “This suggests that his approach to addiction policy is rooted in ideology rather than evidence, because remembering that there is currently no evidence that drug decriminalization saves lives. Because you have to.”
On the contrary, Jibo said B.C.’s drug decriminalization project has made things significantly worse.
“I’ve talked to dozens of young people who feel that drug decriminalization makes them feel unsafe and normalizes their drug use, and in some ways they’re discouraged from using drugs among their peers. It seems to be encouraging.”
BC set record Despite decriminalization trials, in 2023 there were 2,511 deaths out of 2,511 suspected deaths from illegal drugs.
“There is no good reason to perpetuate a policy that has put so many people in the state at risk, including health care workers, who are now being sprayed with meth and fentanyl just doing their jobs,” Gibo said. I believe that you should not worry about walking in the middle of the road.
These concerns were echoed by Sachs’s office, which said in a statement that “health-care workers have a right to a safe workplace” and that B.C. He noted that efforts are being made to address the issue.
Givo believes it’s time to scrap the decriminalization experiment altogether.
“I think British Columbia should work with the federal government to move away from decriminalization as soon as possible and pivot to investing in treatment capacity.”
B.C. Conservative Party Leader John Rustad also criticized the Eby government’s approach to drugs in a statement to True North, calling continued efforts at decriminalization “insane.”
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” Rustad said. “David Eby’s doubling down on drug decriminalization is madness.”
Rustad has promised to end drug decriminalization if elected premier of B.C.
“There is no such thing as a safe supply of hard drugs. More people are dying than ever before,” he said. “We must restore common sense to British Columbia, and under a Conservative government, we will end decriminalization and the so-called ‘safe’ supply of hard drugs.”
Rustad said that by “converting all injection facilities into recovery and intake centers” we will “restore the health and dignity of addicts” and “help addicts overcome their addiction and live fulfilling lives.” The company hopes to build a facility that “emulates the Alberta model it supports.”
