The Canadian government has accepted British Columbia’s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces after the province asked it to make amendments to its drug decriminalization project. In 2021, the BC government requested the launch of the project to address the opioid crisis. “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their communities,” said Mental Health and Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks in a Tuesday statement. “Law enforcement also needs to have additional tools to address issues of public safety while continuing to take a compassionate and public health approach to addressing substance use harms.” Working together, Saks said the Canadian government “can continue to adapt and adjust our approach to reflect the evidence and what is actually working on the ground.” She added it will continue to work with its partners going forward, including provinces, law enforcement, indigenous communities, people with lived and living experience, and municipalities. Exemptions will continue to apply in private residences, healthcare clinics, places where people are sheltering, and safe consumption sites. “Across Canada, we must prevent overdoses and save lives and help people find their way to appropriate treatment and pathways to recovery while keeping our communities safe and addressing drug trafficking and organized crime,” said Saks. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre had blasted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s record over the last nine years, saying he is not worth the crime, chaos, drugs, and disorder. “It has now been 10 days and 60 dead British Columbians since the government of that province has asked the prime minister to reverse his deadly and radical legalization of crack, heroin, and other hard drugs in children’s parks, hospitals, on transit,” he said. “Why will he not reverse his radical agenda?” .Poilievre asked about the path forward. He said the path forward is obvious. The BC government requested the Canadian government recriminalize public drug use on April 26. READ MORE: UPDATED: BC recriminalizes public drug use in parks and hospitalsBC Premier David Eby vowed zero tolerance for addicts who use drugs in places such as hospitals, bus stops, parks, and restaurants, although it will be legal in private homes and safe consumption sites.Eby said police will have powers to maintain public order while addressing drug use as a public health issue rather than a law enforcement one.
