B.C. to ban drug use in all public places in major overhaul of decriminalization

The B.C. government says it will ban drug use in all public spaces, including parks and hospitals, as part of a major overhaul of its drug decriminalization pilot project.

The move comes amid a raging debate over the province’s approach to the ongoing deadly toxic drug crisis, including decriminalization and “safe supply.”

Premier David Eby said Friday that the province had made a formal request to Health Canada for changes to its exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, which the three-year decriminalization pilot project operates under.

“Addiction is a health issue, it is not a criminal law issue, and that principle is what the entire decriminalization project was about. It was about removing the stigma for people struggling with addiction, preventing them potentially from reaching out to others to ask for help … for fear of arrest, for fear of a criminal record,” Eby said.

“But 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 concluded the changes were needed after the attorney general said that a legal battle over the province’s own attempt to legislate restrictions on public drug use could be tied up in court for at least a year.

He said those concerns were compounded by the “escalating situation” on the ground, including concerns about drug use in hospitals and public places like restaurants.

“We’ve heard you,” Eby said about the need for more enforcement tools.

“That should have been in place. It should have been there.”

Under the changes, police will be able to take action against anyone using illicit drugs in public places ranging from