Good morning, everyone.
As the B.C. official opposition shadow minister for mental health and addictions and recovery, I'm here today to address the profound failure of British Columbia's illicit drug decriminalization pilot and its dangerously labelled “safe supply” program. These initiatives, while presumably rooted in good intentions, have, unfortunately, yielded alarming consequences due to what many forewarned as a lack of preparedness and vigorous oversight.
In February 2023, at the outset of this pilot's implementation, I warned against the B.C. NDP government's lack of preparation and failure to meet several criterial prerequisites outlined in the federal government's letter of requirements. These included expanding treatment capacity, engaging key stakeholders, and developing monitoring and evaluation frameworks. Here we are, 15 months later, witnessing the ramifications of not meeting those requirements. My worst fears, that British Columbia was entering into an experimental policy without the necessary infrastructure safeguards, have materialized. The results have been nothing short of a disaster.
Former federal minister Carolyn Bennett promised British Columbians, “a robust set of indicators as well on both the public health and the public safety that we then will monitor in real time”. However, these commitments and transparency for real-time data have not been met. The absence of comprehensive data collection has directly compromised public safety, leaving our communities vulnerable, and it's British Columbians who are suffering the consequences. Commuters are being exposed to toxic drug smoke on public transit; children find discarded drug paraphernalia in playgrounds; and nurses, who should be safe in their workplaces, suffer assaults and exposure to toxic drug smoke within hospital walls. All of this is occurring while the B.C. NDP government fails to provide equitable and timely access to health and social services to people suffering with addiction.
Despite early warnings from law enforcement, critical safety and enforcement issues were overlooked, and the pilot program was allowed to commence without mechanisms in place to respond to problematic drug use and without the ability to deter behaviours that put others at risk. Moreover, the diversion of hydromorphone from the so-called safer supply program has persisted unabated since 2020. It took three years and substantial pressure from the medical community before a review was conducted in 2023. This review confirmed what many warned about: widespread diversion and limited evidence supporting the program's efficacy. Despite these findings, the B.C. NDP government continues to misleadingly promote this as “safer supply”.
Tuesday's announcement from the federal government, which modifies B.C.'s section 56 exemption to prohibit public drug use, is a stark admission of the failure of government at both levels—the failure to properly consider public safety, and confirmation of the danger and disorder that's been unleashed by this experiment. The modifications shift this crisis back onto the shoulders of police, who are being asked to move people along but with no services to move them along to. It's merely a band-aid on a gaping wound, addressing public drug use while doing nothing to address addiction itself. This policy U-turn does not address the core issues but instead serves as political damage control, an attempt by government to mask the catastrophic outcomes and divert attention from the harms of their policies.
This was an experiment that was doomed from the outset by a failure to provide social services, access to life-saving treatment, housing and health care. Over the past 15 months it's become painfully clear that the decriminalization policy has not saved lives and reduced drug overdoses, and instead has propagated harm and disorder throughout our communities. As we discuss these developments, we have to recognize that this isn't just a policy failure: It's a humanitarian crisis that continues to claim six lives a day in B.C., and we cannot continue on this path. The decriminalization and safer supply experiments have proven ineffective and dangerous, and it is time for us to reject these policies. It's unacceptable to launch into population-level experiments, ignoring obvious harms and being selective in the collection of evidence.
We need strategies that focus on comprehensive treatment options, social supports and robust public safety measures that genuinely protect our communities. We must develop policies rooted in evidence, prioritize public health and provide real solutions to the drug crisis affecting our province and our country. We must prioritize recovery, uphold safety and secure a safer and healthier future for everyone.
Thank you.