Image credit: Interior Health

By Todd Stone, Kamloops-South Thompson MLA

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: NDP endorses drug use in our hospitals in leaked memo

Apr 4, 2024 | 10:30 AM

RECENTLY, WE UNCOVERED A SHOCKING MEMO sent to nurses that permits the use of drugs and weapons in hospital rooms.

The entire memo is outrageous – under the NDP, illicit drug use and even drug trafficking in hospitals are not just tolerated but endorsed.

Bravely, nurses are coming forward with horrifying stories of daily encounters with meth, cocaine, and fentanyl use. One report highlights meth being smoked in a unit just hours after the birth of a newborn.

We’ve also heard about a nurse who, just back from maternity leave, was exposed to someone smoking illicit drugs. The exposure was so severe she needed emergency care and was advised to stop breastfeeding because of the risk to her newborn.

These sobering stories demand more than empty words and feigned outrage from David Eby. They demand accountability and action.

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How many more nurses must be put at risk and infants exposed to illicit hard drugs before the NDP ends this dangerous decriminalization experiment in our hospitals?

Under the NDP government, once-safe public spaces like hospitals, Tim Hortons, and public transit have become hotspots for open drug use.

Almost daily we listen to David Eby and his NDP government express their feigned outrage and disgust at these growing incidents of open drug use. These are not isolated incidents. Instead, this is the new NDP normal for businesses and public spaces and comes as a direct result of their reckless decriminalization experiment.

We only have to look across the U.S. border to Oregon who recognized the chaos decriminalization was causing and has recently moved to re-criminalize drug possession. Oregon has been cited multiple times by David Eby as a model for the pilot in British Columbia. Yet, he chooses to stick with decriminalization that’s been cancelled in Oregon and is failing British Columbians.

It’s clear the NDP’s decriminalization approach is not working, the results can be seen in the lives lost and chaos in our communities. Despite consistent warning signs, David Eby continues to double down on his failed experiment.

A new approach is needed. That’s why BC United has presented our Better is Possible plan, which would change direction and prioritize free treatment and recovery instead of free drugs for those struggling with addiction.

Our plan will deliver results through a multi-step approach to make treatment more accessible and affordable, increase services for complex mental health needs, and implement awareness and prevention education campaigns.

Nurses shouldn’t be exposed to drug smoke in emergency rooms, and people deserve to feel safe in public spaces. The explosion of open drug use as a result of the NDP’s reckless decriminalization is damaging our communities. BC United will end the failed experiment and restore safety in our public spaces, hospitals, and communities.

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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 Pattison Media.