Federal addictions minister says B.C public decriminalization reversal under review

The federal minister for addictions and mental health says it's too early to draw conclusions about drug decriminalization after British Columbia asked Ottawa to scale back its pilot to help curb concerns about public drug use.

Ya'ara Saks noted Monday that the province is only a year into its three-year pilot project, which began in early 2023.

To make it happen, Health Canada issued an exemption to federal drug laws, decriminalizing possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs, including heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.

«We're still evaluating the data,» the minister said.

On Friday, B.C. Premier David Eby asked Health Canada to amend that exemption order to recriminalize the use of those drugs in public spaces, such as hospitals and restaurants.

While adults would still be allowed to use such drugs in private, they could be arrested for using them in public.

The request followed months of backlash from residents, health-care workers, police and conservative politicians about the project's effect on public safety.

Saks said she met with her provincial counterpart on Friday and the province's amendment request is under review.

«The overdose crisis, as I've said before and I say again, is a health crisis issue. It is not a criminal one,» Saks told reporters.

B.C. was the first jurisdiction in Canada to seek the decriminalization of small amounts of hard drugs.

The province declared drug-related overdose deaths to be a public-health emergency in 2016, and the crisis worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eby told reporters Monday that other jurisdictions can learn from its experience with decriminalization to date.

He said there must be resources in place to address public drug use.

«There are important lessons