After introducing a landmark program to decriminalise public drug use, the Canadian province British Columbia has rolled back the policy that was once heralded as the radical solution to overdose deaths.
SBS On Demand In 2023, British Columbia became the first Canadian province to decriminalise the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs in an effort to combat the spiralling opioid overdose crisis. Under a three-year pilot program, adult users were allowed to carry up to 2.5g of heroin, methamphetamine, ecstasy, or crack cocaine, and could use them in certain public places without facing criminal charges.
"In the wake of decriminalisation, there are many of those locations where we have absolutely no authority to address that problematic drug use, because the person appears to be in possession of less than 2.5 grams," Vancouver Police deputy chief Fiona Wilson said in her testimony at the parliament on 15 April.
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