British Columbia to recriminalize use of drugs in public spaces

They do not even have the resources to deal with most crimes now let alone making public drug use a crime again. Laughable.

This is a complex topic, but that comment thread has a whole lot of very obvious disinformation

Why would the new bureaucracy want to end addiction when its continued growth and existence depends on it?

What

The best part is how I never used drugs where they were illegal. I promise.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

With an election looming, Eby's NDP government has been bombarded with a string of headlines about concerns with decriminalization — a pilot program introduced in January 2023 allowed adult drug users in B.C.

"We are taking immediate action to make hospitals safer and ensuring policies are consistent and strictly enforced through additional security, public communication and staff supports," Dix said in a statement.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson ordered the law paused until March 31, ruling it would likely result in more deaths, displacement and criminalization of people who use drugs.

This change aligns with the critical work we have already undertaken with the federal and provincial governments to address open drug use in public areas, especially around playgrounds, splash pads, beaches, and sports fields."

United Leader Kevin Falcon and his critic for mental health and addiction Elenore Sturko issued a joint statement calling the government's move a "desperate attempt to salvage a failing policy."

Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau expressed concerns about the increase in arrests that could be associated with the policy, writing, "Police discretion is especially likely to stigmatize Indigenous and racialized British Columbians."

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