Addiction a ‘health-care crisis’ as B.C. eyes public drug use ban: minister

Federal Mental Health and Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks says the government remains “wholeheartedly committed” to working with British Columbia as the premier wants to scale back the province’s drug decriminalization exemption.

The goal is to allow police to intervene in public illicit drug use following reports of drug use in places like hospitals and Tim Hortons, and growing concerns about how to tackle that.

“They requested this exemption from the federal government with a full plan for a suite of tools to address the illicit toxic drug supply and the overdose crisis. Our commitment is to keep this firmly in the frame that this is a health-care crisis and not a criminalization issue,” Saks said prior to question period.

On Friday, B.C. Premier David Eby said he is asking the federal government to modify its Criminal Code exemption for simple drug possession so police can intervene in instances of public drug use.

Eby said he still sees addiction as a health issue, not a criminal issue, and the principle of the decriminalization pilot is to try and help people get assistance without fear of arrest.

The goal, according to Eby, is that police would encourage people not to use drugs in public, potentially seize the drugs and arrest people only “when necessary.”

“That compassion, that concern for people who are struggling does not mean that anything goes. We still have expectations around safety, public spaces, in the coffee shop, on the bus, in the park, on the beach,” Eby said Friday.

Saks said B.C.’s application to modify the exemption is still under review by Health Canada, as it was only received on Friday.

The decriminalization pilot is scheduled to run for three years and began in January 2023. Under it, adults are