Study on B.C. decriminalization’s impact on drug crisis not complete: former coroner
VICTORIA — British Columbia’s former chief coroner says a new study linking safer supply and decriminalization to a rise in opioid overdose hospitalizations doesn’t provide the full picture on the effectiveness of the province’s drug policies.
Lisa Lapointe, who retired from the post last year, says the study published in JAMA Health Forum on Friday used data up to the end of 2023 and did not capture the “significant” decrease in opioid-related deaths in B.C. in 2024 — the lowest rate since 2020.
Lapointe also cautions against using the report’s findings as an indication that decriminalization of illicit drugs has not worked, noting that “the number of deaths grew exponentially under the criminalization program” that preceded the current policy.
The Ministry of Health says in a statement that it “continues to carefully examine all emerging evidence to inform policy” but adds a number of health professionals, researchers and academics have raised concerns about the study.
