Sheila Malcolmson (Image Credit: Flickr / Government of BC)

By James Peters

Overdose Crisis

Province of B.C. formalizes request to Ottawa for decriminalization, announces $45M in funding

Apr 14, 2021 | 10:02 AM

VICTORIA — On the day it marks five years since the opioid overdose crisis was declared a public health emergency, the Province of B.C. is ratcheting up the pressure on Ottawa to decriminalize drug possession.

“Today, B.C. is taking the next step to end the war on people who use drugs by formalizing our request to Health Canada for a province-wide Section 56 exemption for personal possession of illicit drugs,” said Mental Health and Addictions Minister Sheila Malcolmson in a Wednesday morning (Apr. 14) news conference. “This will be an exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act so that personal possession of drugs is no longer a crime in this province.”

Malcolmson noted decriminalizing possession will have the greatest impact on reducing stigma for those who are struggling with health issues.

“We know that stigma drives people to use drugs alone, to hide their drug use and consume alone – and this is fuelling the overdose crisis,” said Malcolmson. “By taking this step, we can address and reduce the fear and stigma and shame that keep people silent about drug use.”

To date, the federal government has been resistant to repeated calls for broad decriminalization. It’s unclear if or how the formalization of the request from B.C. will change that.

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“My ministry has been working on a formal agreement that outlines how the Province of B.C. will work with Health Canada to apply for a province-wide exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act that accounts for not just large, urban centres, but for rural and remote places as well.”

Meantime, Malcolmson also announced $45 million in new funding for overdose response services over the next three years.

“This will include more safe consumption sites, life-saving naloxone and inter-disciplinary outreach teams to connect people to care. We know the pandemic is having an impact on these services and today we are committing to securing their accessibility for people throughout B.C.,” she said.

The funding will be included in next week’s provincial budget and will be distributed to all of the province’s health authorities.