On the same day that British Columbia began a new era in drug policy with the decriminalization of simple possession of some drugs, the province’s chief coroner provided a devastating update about the number of lives lost to illicit drugs during the previous year.
On Jan. 31, 2023, B.C. began a three-year pilot project under which simple possession of some drugs (opioids, methamphetamine, cocaine and MDMA) can no longer lead to criminal prosecution or even seizure of the drugs by police. The policy applies to possession of up to 2.5 grams of substance for personal use.
While a major step in the right direction, decriminalization does nothing to tackle what is fuelling the drug-poisoning crisis: the makeup of a toxic and unregulated drug supply.
