Grand Chief Stewart Phillip

Advocates condemn BC’s decision to recriminalize substance use

By: Hannah Fraser, News Writer Content warning: mentions of death and overdose, colonialism, and intergenerational trauma. The BC government received approval to recriminalize illicit substance use in public spaces, one and a half years into a decriminalization pilot. Advocates from the Harm Reduction Nurses Association (HRNA) expressed discontent. The HRNA is a Canadian organization working to “advance harm reduction nursing” and “the rights and dignity of people who use drugs.” In January 2023, Health Canada granted BC a “three-year exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to decriminalize people who use drugs.” This meant of-age British Columbians found carrying…

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