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By James Peters

Two & Out

PETERS: 4,000 overdose deaths more than enough cause for drastic action

Mar 6, 2020 | 11:14 AM

IT’S ONE OF THE IRONIES of our society that one person’s death can trigger a swell of emotion, but 4,000 deaths don’t cause a ripple.

BC just officially surpassed 4,000 deaths since the province declared a public health emergency due to the opioid overdose crisis.

But those are drug users, right? We say that to strip them of their humanity and justify our indifference.

Terry Lake, the former BC health minister, was on my show Balance of Power this week, once again mounting an empassioned argument for decriminalization as a great first step to solving this problem.

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Not legalization, but decriminalization — and treating drug addiction as a health matter first before a legal matter.

There is, of course, the human argument, that no one wants to be addicted to drugs.

…That many of these drug users made one — just one — bad decision and ended up needing drugs to simply feel normal and human every day.

…That the majority of these deaths are happening indoors to people who have housing, many of whom have regular jobs and pay taxes just like most of us.

…That many of these users could have first become hooked on a legitimate prescription they were given by a legitimate doctor for pain relief after a legitimate injury.

As we said, however, those argument doesn’t hold sway over those who have chosen to dehumanize drug users and are happy to leave them as nothing more than statistics.

Multiple studies have shown our current, criminal justice-led approach is more expensive than leading with health treatment options.

To be frank, jail is expensive and a terrible place to try to get off drugs.

So, genuine human compassion aside and turning the focus to self-interest, it’s also a cheaper option for the taxpayer to decriminalize and pour our money and energy into treatment.

Will it happen?

It will take a great deal of political will, and in a minority government situation, it seems unlikely.

In December, the prime minister was quoted as being reluctant to consider decriminalization, saying it’s not a “panacea.”

There is no panacea to this issue. It’s very complicated, and even though we seek simple solutions, sometimes those don’t exist.

Decriminalization, though, seems like a good first step.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.