By Mandy Vocke

B.C. health officer calls for decriminalization of illicit drugs

Apr 24, 2019 | 11:13 AM

BRITISH COLUMBIA— Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry is recommending B.C. decriminalizes possession of illegal drugs for personal use.

In a 49-page report released today (April 24) titled, ‘Stopping the Harm: Decriminalization of People Who Use Drugs in B.C.’, Henry provides an extensive overview of the policies the province has enacted to stop the overdose crisis. 

“There is widespread global recognition that the failed ‘war on drugs’ and the resulting criminalization and stigmatization of people who use drugs has not reduced drug use but instead has increased health harms,” Henry says in the report.

The report also explains what decriminalization of controlled substances would look like.

“Decriminalization involves removing an action or behaviour from the scope of the criminal justice system,” the report states. “In the context of controlled substances, it is typically focused on possession and consumption of drugs for personal use and does not set out a system or structure for production, distribution, or sale of controlled substances.”

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An average of four British Columbians die each day from an overdose. Prince George saw 24 overdose deaths in 2017, with that number nearly doubling to 46 deaths in 2018.