In late April, the BC government sought the federal government’s approval to formally ban the use of drugs in all public spaces, including hospitals.
According to the Province, this is being done in part to aid police and also to attempt to curb the ongoing public health emergency regarding toxic drug deaths.
This new endeavour comes just over a year after BC worked with Health Canada and the Minister of Health and Addictions to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs, which was also done in the name of helping police as well as reducing the stigma that surrounds substance use.
Related:
- BC seeks to ban substance use in hospitals and all other public spaces
- Nearly 200 British Columbian lives were lost to toxic drugs in March alone
- BC Greens demand ‘compassionate and evidence-based’ solutions to toxic drug crisis
On Tuesday, May 7th, the Canadian Minister of Health and Addictions, Ya’ara Saks, gave a statement approving BC’s new legislation.
“In 2021, the Government of British Columbia requested the launch of a pilot project to help address the overdose crisis that is one of the most serious and unprecedented public health threats in Canada’s recent history,” said Saks.
“BC has asked that we make amendments to its project and we are granting BC’s request to prohibit possession of controlled substances in public spaces.”
Police will now have the power to enforce against drug use in all public places, including hospitals, restaurants, transit, parks, beaches and more.
However, drug use in several of these areas was already explicitly illegal in BC.
According to this new legislation, when police are called to a scene in which they determine people are using illicit drugs dangerously, they will have the power to tell the person to leave the area, seize the drugs or arrest the person.
Saks continued by saying that everyone deserves to feel safe and this is being done in the name of public safety but also remarked that compassion should be at the forefront of addressing substance use harms.
Exceptions to the new legislation will be when people use substances in private residences, health care clinics meant for safe drug use and places where people are lawfully sheltering.
Despite this, data from the BC Coroners Service suggests that people who use substances alone at their homes are the most likely to die of toxic drug use.
