The mood was cautiously optimistic and the message was simple: Drug decriminalization saves lives.
People who used or carried small quantities of illegal drugs in plain sight would no longer face arrest in British Columbia, the nexus of Canada’s opioid crisis, officials announced two years ago.
So bold was the experiment, even in a province known for pioneering addiction policies, that its public health officer said she was in disbelief the day had actually come.
But decriminalization, a policy introduced as a way of alleviating the opioid crisis, has instead been blamed for deepening it.
“Our goal was to save lives,” British Columbia’s premier, David Eby, said at a recent news conference.
Persons:
“, David Eby, ”
Locations:
British Columbia, British