By: Eden Chipperfield, News Writer
Content warning: mentions of substance-use and related deaths.
In January of this year, Health Canada announced an exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act aims to address the ongoing epidemic of toxic drug deaths within BC and reduce stigma around substance use. The exemption ruled that adults in BC will not be criminally charged if they are found in possession of specific quantities (up to a combined total of 2.5 grams or less) of illegal drugs, such as fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy. This exemption will be in place until January 2026 and is meant to help aid drug decriminalization.
Bill 34 was proposed this October, 10 months after the BC government announced the original exemption. The newly proposed legislation is called the Restructuring Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act, and restricts the consumption of drugs in many public spaces. The bill was read by public safety minister Mike Farnworth. The proposal is that Bill 34 will aid BC residents with the “want to feel safe as they move around their communities and to use and enjoy recreational spaces free from drug use.” The concern around the proposal is that those who use substances within public areas such as parks will have less space to use narcotics and other substances safely.
To further understand concerns around Bill 34, The Peak reached out to Michael Crawford, president of the BC Association of Social Workers (BCASW).
“We expressed concerns leading up to the introduction of decriminalization regarding the 2.5 gram possession limit,” said Crawford. He explained, “Some users use considerably more than 2.5 grams per day and the limit meant they either needed to carry more than the limit, putting them at risk for arrest, or make multiple drug purchases daily, which increases the threat of receiving potentially toxically laced drugs.”
“BC requested a 4.5 gram limit. However, the federal government only granted the 2.5 gram exemption,” said Crawford.
Crawford expressed that the BCASW has concerns with the exemption and its limitations, as it did not include a strategy for “providing users with a safe supply of drugs” nor a “plan to significantly increase services such as safe injection/inhalation sites, overdose prevention sites, detox beds, treatment follow up, support programs, and secure housing.
“We accurately predicted that decriminalization would not reduce the number of poison drug deaths. Safe supply and increased services are essential components of a harm-reduction approach,” according to Crawford.
The primary concern BCASW has with the introduction of Bill 34 is how it symbolizes the government’s lack of commitment to serving people who use drugs. The goal of the original act was to cease arresting and charging those who use drugs in public spaces. At the same time, Bill 34 reverses that responsibility, authorizing arrests without the need for a warrant for those above the allotted quantities.
“The BC government committed to reducing stigma, and Bill 34, by significantly reducing public space where drug use is permitted, will drive users into dark lanes, riverbanks, and into private residences where users are more likely to use alone, without someone available to respond to an overdose or poisoning,” said Crawford. Though the BC government has attempted to position themselves as finding resources to address the public health issue, the introduction of Bill 34 juxtaposes the intent by “increasing stigma, criminalization, and death.”
BC chief coroner Lisa Lapointe has stated that access to a safe supply of drugs is essential to save lives throughout the health emergency the province is experiencing. From January to August this year, over 1,455 overdose deaths occurred due to illicit drugs containing deadly substances.
In response to the government’s Bill 34 debut, Crawford has expressed that the message is “politically expedient” rather than based on research. “There is divisive political posturing with increased pressure on progressive governments to step back from harm-reduction approaches. The federal Conservative leader has called for stopping the funding for safe supply programs, including a motion to that effect in the House of Commons.” Crawford put forth an excerpt from his work for the BCASW: “We appreciate that it takes political courage to stay the course on harm-reduction. However, there is growing evidence that safe supply ‘reduces accidental drug toxicity deaths, decreases emergency department visits and hospital admissions, and improves health and well-being.’”
The BCSAW has presented their research and solutions to the Select Standing Committee on Health, which discussed addiction and the BC government’s response. The organization has also expressed their thoughts and ideas with the minister of mental health and addiction and the senior direction of decriminalization at the BC ministry.
