On Wednesday Vancouver city council voted unanimously to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs within city limits.
The move comes as a result of years of suggesting that criminal charges only keep the problem, and addictions in the underground and have contributed to the high number of overdose deaths. Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart said it’s time to develop a “health focused” solution and end the stigma around drug use.
In British Columbia the problem has been worsened by COVID-19 restrictions which has limited addicts ability to access help, and interrupted the usual supply chains. This latter situation has resulted in supplies from new ad hoc underground producers with often more variable quality and deadly products. There have been more than 100 overdose deaths in the province each month since the pandemic began.
The Vancouver motion however for the moment has no force in law. The council will therefore also made a request to the federal government for an exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
If that request is successful Vancouver would be the first jurisdiction in Canada to decriminalize possession of small amounts of any illicit drug.
Paramedics and first responders work to save a person suspected of having a drug overdose. In B.C., 1,386 people have died of illicit drug overdose this year. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Decriminalisation for possession of small amounts of drugs has the support of the provincial Premier, the province’s Chief Health Officer, and the Vancouver Police Department
The motion came on the same day B.C’s Coroner’s Service announced there had been 162 overdose deaths in the province last month, and 1.385 deaths in the first ten months of this year.
Mayor Stewart said that if approved, discussions will begin with city officials, Vancouver Coastal Health, the police, various community and advocacy groups and with people with ‘lived experience:
Others are suggesting that before a plan is developed, that official look at other jurisdictions where similar policies are in place such as Portugal where small amounts of drugs have been decriminalised, but police, tickets and fines are still involved and the system mistrusted by users and addicts. They say study of other situations could avoid some of the drawbacks of those systems.
additional information-sources
Canadian Press (National Post): Nov 26/20: Vancouver Council votes to decriminalize illicit drugs
Vice News: R Brown: Nov 26/20 Vancouver just voted to decriminalize all drugs
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