Last year, BC became the first province in Canada to obtain federal government permission to decriminalize the use of hard drugs, as an effort to respond to the deadly opioid crisis in the streets. The actual results in the community have now caused a stiff pushback. First, the NDP government has come under sharp criticism in the Legislature, as people complain to their MLAs about what is happening in their neighbourhoods.Nurses are also now complaining about their safety, as the government’s open attitude over street drugs has hit the hospital wards.The problems of the so-called drug 'safe supply' were highlighted last month in the Western Standard. The RCMP had reported that the naïve policy of legalizing possession of hitherto illegal street drugs had resulted in safe-supply drugs being sold by organized crime in Alberta and across Canada.The government is not to be faulted for its good intentions. Both the US and Canada have a serious toxic drug problem. Fatal overdoses peaked above 112,000 in the US for the first time last year. In Canada, the problem is worst in BC, where about 225,000 people are estimated to use illegal drugs, more than 2,500 died of drug overdoses. (Experts say a toxic street drug supply laced with fentanyl and other products creates a higher risk of death.)It was in an attempt to address the crisis in January 2023, that BC got the Government of Canada to decriminalize possession of small amounts of hard drugs. The idea was to destigmatize possession, so that it wouldn't be a barrier to treatment. It has not worked out that way.After little more than a year, residents near treatment centres say safeguards for the public are inadequate. Some municipalities have added bylaws to restrict public drug consumption. Nevertheless, there are frequent stories of drug paraphernalia found in parks, and of dogs accidentally ingesting opioids found on the ground. Not just in Vancouver, and Victoria either, but in suburban communities such as Coquitlam and Surrey. Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim says a delicate balance needs to be struck between supporting people with severe addiction and keeping areas safe for children and families. The NDP government just says 'the war on drugs has failed.'Indeed. Drug deaths are going up, not down and users are not clamouring for treatment.Turning now to the medical profession, a 2023 memo from BC’s Northern Health Region recently came to light, instructing nurses to allow patients to possess and use illicit drugs and weapons in hospital settings. The policy memo also stated that nurses should not remove personal items from patients' rooms, even if those items are considered weapons. This sparked concerns about safety for both patients and hospital staff.Naturally, the BC Nurses’ Union is very concerned.The Northern Health Region policy memo also directs nurses and staff on how to deal with illicit drugs in hospital settings. They are not to measure, weigh, or test substances. The BC Nurses’ Union said local health authorities are not making their employees feel safe, and if concerns are raised, they’re not taken seriously.The safety of nurses and patients in BC hospitals became a hot topic at the Legislature. “The BC NDP has created a free-for-all for open drug use, shockingly, even within our hospitals,” said Shirley Bond, BC United Party shadow minister for health.In one shocking case, someone was smoking meth just hours after the birth of her baby, exposing hospital staff and other patients. “How many more nurses have to be put at risk and infants exposed to illicit hard drugs in our hospitals before the premier puts an end to the reckless decriminalization experiment?” Bond questioned.Nurses have also reported they’re seeing a surge in weapons making their way into hospitals along with the increase in drugs. Later, when reporters questioned BC Health Minister Adrian Dix for his reaction to the Nurses Union’s comments, he entered into denial and policy flip-flop. He said, “With respect to weapons … not allowed. Period.” “And with respect to smoking in hospitals, it’s not allowed at all.” “That doesn’t mean that these rules are never violated, but what it does mean is that they are clear.” “The direction is clear and the rules are straightforward. We take every step to ensure that our nurses and health-care professionals are not peace officers, they are health-care workers.”Well, that's what they say. Community experience is that the general tolerant drug policy has led to chaos in hospitals. In response to this political embarrassment, Health Minister Adrian Dix announced a task force to help create a province-wide standard in response to rising reports of illicit substances being used in hospitals. This is nothing more than a bureaucratic deflection, a political trick, to take the heat off the government for a while. What's needed is tough enforcement of the rules they have. NDP Health Minister Dix said, “As a practical matter, we want to ensure everyone knows what the rules are, and that we will be continuing to take steps to ensure that people are protected in our public hospitals and we will have some details on all of that.” BC United’s Shirley Bond, who quoted from the Health Authority document during the Legislature debate, cited it as evidence of the NDP having “created a free-for-all with open drug use” and called for the end of the decriminalization policy experiment. "Courageous nurses are coming forward all across British Columbia with alarming accounts of daily encounters with meth, cocaine and fentanyl use in our hospitals," she added.Thus, a nurse at North Island Hospital said she’s been exposed to illicit drug smoke six times; she worries about long-term health effects. A Burnaby nurse had fentanyl smoke blown in her face and witnessed an erratic man who had taken street drugs, flail around nude in his hospital bed next to two terrified seniors sharing the room. A veteran Vancouver nurse said patients using drugs in shared rooms often become volatile and a danger to nurses and other patients.Health Minister Adrian Dix responded by saying it is important to ensure the safety of nurses. It is outrageous. It is indefensible. And it needs to stop.
