BC Lags Behind Other Provinces in Life Satisfaction

[chemgear]

https://vancouversun.com/news/future...s-plan-meeting

Future of decriminalization uncertain as addictions ministers, police chiefs plan meeting

B.C. police chiefs are concerned that law enforcement officers have no power to stop problematic drug use in hospitals or public spaces.

Wilson, who is also president of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police, said: “In the wake of decriminalization, there are many of those locations where we have absolutely no authority to address that problematic drug use.” For example, if someone smokes crack cocaine on a beach next to a family, “it’s not a police matter,” she said.

Wilson also said “there is nothing police can do” about drug use inside hospitals, the prevalence of which has become apparent in recent weeks as nurses are speaking out about their exposure to toxic drug smoke in the workplace.

“These are all things that we raised prior to decriminalization taking effect that we don’t feel were adequately addressed,” Wilson said.

[Locke]

Lol! The title of 'Addictions Minister' makes me chuckle.

Imagine explaining that at parties!

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by rubecube

You haven't walked back your diversion stuff. Just saying.

Originally Posted by chemgear

My diversion stuff?

Ah, you mean the RCMP publicly saying in the news that there was "an alarming trend" involving organized criminals redistributing drugs intended for the safe supply program. Then the additional language later that it wasn't technically "widespread" and that safe supply diversion prescriptions were found in a "minority" of drug seizures. I'm surprised they didn't give more clarity what exactly that meant.

Some more clarity, I guess "no widespread safe supply diversions" and a "minority of drug seizures" meant 49.99%.

The testimony in front of the House of Commons Committee seems to be consistent with the original BC RCMP public statements and seems to fly in the face of the what the BC Minister of Public Safety claimed. From the news report, the government seemed to be "caught off guard" by the testimony.


https://bc.ctvnews.ca/safe-supply-va...rted-1.6850520

While addressing a House of Commons committee Monday, Deputy Chief Fiona Wilson claimed about 50 per cent of hydromorphone seizures were diverted from safe supply drugs.

“That’s just in recognition of the fact that someone who’s on a bonafide safe supply program has a more regular significant supply,” said Wilson, who was speaking in her role as the president of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police.

Premier David Eby was asked about these comments Tuesday, and said that this was the first time his government had heard these numbers from the VPD.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by Locke

Lol! The title of 'Addictions Minister' makes me chuckle.

Imagine explaining that at parties!

Sex right? You're talking about sex addictions, right?

Parties indeed.

[activeStick]

BC government is now seeking to ban drug use in public spaces.

https://ground.news/article/bc-seeks...riminalization

After weeks of troubling stories about problematic street drug use in hospitals, parks and at bus stops, the province of British Columbia announced plans to recriminalize the use of drugs in public places Friday — radically altering a pilot program aimed at addressing the toxic drug crisis.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by activeStick

BC government is now seeking to ban drug use in public spaces.

https://ground.news/article/bc-seeks...riminalization

Well...its a little late now!

[curves2000]

Originally Posted by activeStick

BC government is now seeking to ban drug use in public spaces.

https://ground.news/article/bc-seeks...riminalization

Big surprise and shocking development. Illegal to smoke a cigarette but 2.5 grams of narcotics is no issue in public spaces.

This was remarkably predicable because the inmates are running the asylum and Joe and Jane public have reached a boiling point. People in BC are about as tolerant as possible with regards to drugs and the associated problems but a lot of people just can't deal with this literally everywhere.

[Winsor_Pilates]

That's quite surprising actually, but credit to Eby and his government if that's accurate.
Probably due to increased difficulty for police to enforce anything without some legal backing.

[Mr.Coffee]

Yep Bc is now recriminalizing drug use in public spaces after 8 years and 14,000 deaths, per CBC.

The right call IMO.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Yep Bc is now recriminalizing drug use in public spaces after 8 years and 14,000 deaths, per CBC.

The right call IMO.

Wow. Who could have seen that coming? Other than everyone.

[TheIronMaiden]

Arguably the deaths would remain consistent public/private
Buy the public doesn't deserve to have to deal with it on a daily basis.

[CliffFletcher]

The notion that the public would benignly tolerate that level of disorder and squalor in public spaces was always beyond naive.

Advocates tried a new approach to addiction. It didn’t work. Time to try other strategies.

[flames_fan_down_under]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Yep Bc is now recriminalizing drug use in public spaces after 8 years and 14,000 deaths, per CBC.

The right call IMO.

Sorry just for clarity the decriminalization period started in January of 2023, it hasn't been an 8 year project. Obviously a failed a project, which I assume the safe supply pilot project will be as well. We can't expect people who are addicted to opioids act in a logical or reasonable way.

[jayswin]

Yeah, the way Mr. Coffee worded it was weird. It also sounds like he's attributing the 14000 deaths to the decrimalization of drugs. I mean, maybe some? If anything I'd imagine pushing people away from the public would lead to more deaths as drug addicts rely on being visible when they OD to get help (that's why many shoot up close to high foot traffic areas).

[flamesfever]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

The notion that the public would benignly tolerate that level of disorder and squalor in public spaces was always beyond naive.

Advocates tried a new approach to addiction. It didn’t work. Time to try other strategies.

It seems to me that the idea of "let's try a new approach to problems" without looking ahead to possible consequences, is becoming the norm for our leaders these days. Common sense seems to be in short supply.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Some more clarity, I guess "no widespread safe supply diversions" and a "minority of drug seizures" meant 49.99%.

The testimony in front of the House of Commons Committee seems to be consistent with the original BC RCMP public statements and seems to fly in the face of the what the BC Minister of Public Safety claimed. From the news report, the government seemed to be "caught off guard" by the testimony.


https://bc.ctvnews.ca/safe-supply-va...rted-1.6850520

While addressing a House of Commons committee Monday, Deputy Chief Fiona Wilson claimed about 50 per cent of hydromorphone seizures were diverted from safe supply drugs.

“That’s just in recognition of the fact that someone who’s on a bonafide safe supply program has a more regular significant supply,” said Wilson, who was speaking in her role as the president of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police.

Premier David Eby was asked about these comments Tuesday, and said that this was the first time his government had heard these numbers from the VPD.

Sorry, I took a break from this thread because I think my emotions were getting the best of me.

I'll have to look into these numbers. On the surface they don't really add up when put up against the number of people who are actively accessing safe supply.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

Arguably the deaths would remain consistent public/private
Buy the public doesn't deserve to have to deal with it on a daily basis.

I would almost guarantee that there will be more deaths as a result of this, but I think Eby's hands were tied politically.

Even the most ardent decrim and safe supply supporters, including myself, think the way everything was rolled out was very haphazard.

EDIT: I will credit Eby with legislating that people can't just be arrested if they're simply caught carrying personal amounts.

[Zulu29]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I would almost guarantee that there will be more deaths as a result of this, but I think Eby's hands were tied politically.

Even the most ardent decrim and safe supply supporters, including myself, think the way everything was rolled out was very haphazard.

EDIT: I will credit Eby with legislating that people can't just be arrested if they're simply caught carrying personal amounts.

This is not about allowing the police to arrest people for simple possession of drugs. It’s about allowing the police to move people along who are smoking fentanyl in front of stores or inside hospitals.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Zulu29

This is not about allowing the police to arrest people for simple possession of drugs. It’s about allowing the police to move people along who are smoking fentanyl in front of stores or inside hospitals.

Hence why I said I liked the move.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Yeah, the way Mr. Coffee worded it was weird. It also sounds like he's attributing the 14000 deaths to the decrimalization of drugs. I mean, maybe some? If anything I'd imagine pushing people away from the public would lead to more deaths as drug addicts rely on being visible when they OD to get help (that's why many shoot up close to high foot traffic areas).

Yeah I didn’t: don’t mean it like that. I agree the deaths are not entirely attributable to decriminalization. I just reported the stat that CBC used in their article and I do think those deaths are more numerous with decriminalization.

I guess ultimately my question would be, to what extent does making it illegal stop deaths from drug use? If it is any at all, then it’s worth making illegal.

But to more clearly articulate my position, I believe Canada needs to do what seems to have worked and that is mirror Portugal’s policy. I’ve said this for awhile now. I don’t understand how a country has made huge strides and then we don’t think we should just copy that model, and part of that model involves some level of arrest / incarceration to get people clean and then put in way more resources into rehab and detoxification and therapy and training for jobs, etc.

Not just arrest and then fire them back out on the street after a few hours, as if that will do anything effective.