By Gavin Mackintosh-
Canada has announced plans to temporarily decriminalise the possession of small amounts of some illicit drugs in British Columbia (BC).
The province asked for the criminal code exemption after overdoses claimed more than two thousand lives in BC last year.
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The policy approved by federal officials will allow Canadians on the Pacific coast province who possess up to 2.5 grams of illicit drugs – of any combination – for personal use will not be arrested or charged.
British Columbia is the first Canadian province to apply for an exemption from Canada’s drug laws
“Stigma and fear of criminalisation cause some people to hide their drug use, use alone, or use in other ways that increase the risk of harm. This is why the Government of Canada treats substance use as a health issue, not a criminal one,” tweeted Dr Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer.
In its request to the federal government last year, BC said it asked for the drug laws exemption in order “to remove the shame that often prevents people from reaching out for life-saving help”.
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Federal minister of mental health and addictions Carolyn Bennett said on Tuesday that “for too many years, the ideological opposition to harm reduction has cost lives”.
“We are doing this to save lives, but also to give people using drugs their dignity and choices.”
Vancouver mayor Kennedy Stewart said the decision “marks a fundamental rethinking of drug policy that favours healthcare over handcuffs”.
Sheila Malcolmson, British Columbia’s minister of mental health, said the fear of being criminalised has led many people to hide their addiction and use drugs alone.
“Using alone can mean dying alone, particularly in this climate of tragically increased illicit drug toxicity,” Malcolmson said.
The programme will run from 31 January 2023 to 31 January 2026. There are some exemptions to the scheme, which will not apply to primary and secondary school grounds, child-care facilities, airports, or to members of Canada’s military.
There have been growing calls for a shift in drug policy towards a public health approach from regions across the country. That has included support for some decriminalisation from a number of public health officials as well as the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.
Ms Bennett said the scheme in BC could become “a template for other jurisdictions across Canada”.
In 2020, Oregon became the first US state to drop criminal penalties for the possession of some illicit drugs.
The state saw a drop in drug arrests though there has been debate as to whether it has prompted more drug users to seek help for their substance use.
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