British Columbians deserve to feel safe in their own communities and other communities and public spaces they visit in the province. Locals and tourists shouldn’t feel afraid to venture out to the local shops or need to dodge drug addicts on the nod or step over lifeless looking bodies. The free for all drug use policy is a threat to the prosperity of locally owned and operated businesses.
The open public drug use being allowed in public spaces, especially where families and young children play poses a significant safety risk to the general public. Used needles are being discarded in parks around the province hidden in the grass and near fallen trees and playground equipment where kids like to play. Induvial of all ages including children are exposed to inhaling second hand meth and crack smoke in public spaces.
Over the last 2 decades, open illicit drugs use has gained traction, thriving in Vancouvers Downtown Eastside paving the way for more of these lawless places to pop up in other cities across the province.
The hypocrisy is evident. The BC government has made it illegal to smoke cigarettes, cigars, vapes, cannabis and to drink alcohol in public parks but it had no problem with junkies shooting up heroin or smoking crack in these same areas.
If the justice system truly believes junkies have a right to create dangerous spaces for the general public over yours and BC families right to safety, liberty and security. The government needs to use the Notwithstanding Clause to protect the publics Charter Rights to safety, liberty and security and for businesses to prosper.
It’s highly concerning the BC NDP thought letting junkies chase the dragon and smoke crystal meth anywhere they want when you can’t sip a beer walking down the street or smoke cigarettes, cigars, and cannabis in the parks was sound policy.
The BC NDP free for all open drug use policy originally supported by BC United neglected to add guardrails and a focus on treatment in their official drug “decriminalization” experiment. The current free for all drug policy only enables drug addicts by only solving the supply problem. The major component to the help is missing and that is the focus on providing treatment centres and a clear path forward for addicts to get clean and reintegrate into society.
One option to explore for treatment for repeat offender criminals that are drug addicts is to dedicate a small jail to housing these drug addicts and turn it into a hybrid jail-treatment centre. When the criminal drug addict’s are serving time for a crime they can also be put into treatment for rehabilitation and skill building.
An option for non criminal drug addicts should be free “safe” supply with the requirement to attend a treatment centre with a safe and welcoming environment to complete a detox program with supports for rehabilitation.
An inquiry into the BC NDP hard drugs decriminalization policy needs to be opened and investigate the lack of concern to the unintended consequences and risks for allowing drug addicts to consume illicit hard drugs in public. All involved need to be held accountable.
