Penticton council will soon share its displeasure with the B.C. government over the 17-month-old drug decriminalization program.
Municipal politicians voted 6-1 on May 21, to send a letter to the province asking it to “immediately halt the experimental decriminalization pilot project, and instead focus on building programs and services for recovery and treatment in both small and large communities, for those suffering from addictions.”
Coun. Isaac Gilbert was the lone vote opposed to sending to letter, which came to be following a notice of motion from Coun. Helena Konanz.
The province’s drug decriminalization pilot project launched in January 2023 and is set to run until 2026.
B.C. Premier David Eby in April 2024, however, asked Health Canada to amend a previously issued exemption order to recriminalize the use of hard drugs in public.
“I believe that decriminalization was a mistake,” said Coun. Amelia Boultbee. “We were told that by destigmatizing drugs, people’s lives would be saved because they’re not going to be doing drugs alone, but that hasn’t been what’s happened. All we’ve done is remove one tool from the toolbelt, which is police.”
Preliminary numbers released by BC Coroners Service suggest that 2023 was the deadliest in the province’s history for toxic drug overdoses, with more than 2,500 lives lost. That equates to almost seven deaths per day.
In Penticton, a total of 22 fatal overdoses were recorded in 2023. That’s down from the record-setting 30 deaths tallied in 2022.
“Whether the drugs are decriminalized or illegal, people are still going be using drugs regardless,” said Gilbert. “I think the biggest downfall the province has done is that when they did the decriminalization of drugs, they didn’t come in with the services to be able to provide to people on the street.”
The first-term councillor added that although he disagrees with urging the B.C. government to halt its drug decriminalization program, he’d be in favour of formally asking the province to better support services for people who are struggling with substance abuse.
“I think we can all agree the province has done an extremely poor job of funding treatment and recovery,” replied Boultbee. “People who decide they actually want help have to wait months or over a year before they can actually get it.”
“Decriminalization has been a failed experiment,” Coun. James Miller added.
Today in B.C., adults can legally possess small amounts of “some illicit drugs for personal use in specific places,” according to the province. Those places include private homes and shelters, as well as overdose prevention and drug-checking service locations.
Mayor Julius Bloomfield said he believes decriminalization can help solve the toxic drug crisis, but more needs to be done to support those efforts.
“Decriminalization has worked in the past in different jurisdictions around the world, but only when it’s been part of a comprehensive plan,” Bloomfield stated.
Council’s letter will be sent to Eby and Jennifer Whiteside, the province’s minister of mental health and addictions.
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