With B.C. on track to count 2022 as 乌鸦传媒減ossibly the worst year ever乌鸦传媒� for toxic-drug deaths, the start of a three-year trial that decriminalizes possession of small amounts of illicit drugs is just around the corner.

Health Canada last May announced that as of Jan. 31, 2023, British Columbians aged 18 and older will be allowed to carry up to 2.5 grams of street drugs 乌鸦传媒� including cocaine and fentanyl 乌鸦传媒� without fear of penalty or seizure, provided the drugs are for personal use.

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Semiahmoo Peninsula locals who have seen the effects of such drugs firsthand have expressed mixed feelings on the exemption, describing it as everything from a step in a 乌鸦传媒渃ompassionate direction,乌鸦传媒� to a move that乌鸦传媒檚 unlikely to have any significant impact on the opioid-crisis death toll.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 not that I乌鸦传媒檓 not in favour,乌鸦传媒� Elenore Sturko, MLA for Surrey South and BC Liberal Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Addictions, said Monday (Jan. 9). 乌鸦传媒淚 think that with the record number of people that are losing their life to drug toxicity, we have to take a bold action.

乌鸦传媒淏ut where we stand as an Opposition, is it cannot be the only pillar of our system.

乌鸦传媒淲e need to make sure that as we do this pilot of decriminalization, that we are also providing pathways to recovery for people, and sufficient and appropriate mental-health services so that people have a chance not just to be kept in illness, but to actually make a recovery.

乌鸦传媒淚 just think that the pace at which we have sort of jettisoned towards decriminalization is far outpacing this government, how they乌鸦传媒檝e been providing for those services. Lots of announcements, but very little in terms of treatment for people.乌鸦传媒�

In announcing the move, government officials described the exemption as 乌鸦传媒渁 critical step乌鸦传媒� that will 乌鸦传媒渞educe stigma and harm and provide another tool for British Columbia to end the overdose crisis,乌鸦传媒� by removing barriers that prevent people from accessing services and treatment.

The threshold amount is just over half of the 4.5-gram limit that had been requested by the province, and it comes with caveats, including that B.C. improve health and social systems to support the implementation.

George Passmore, director of personal and family counselling and support for Sources Community Resource Centres, described the 乌鸦传媒淥K乌鸦传媒� given as a step in a 乌鸦传媒渃ompassionate direction乌鸦传媒� towards viewing those who use such substances as people 乌鸦传媒渙f dignity, and worthy of community, not scorn and marginalization.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淭hat can eventually result in less societal judgment, condemnation and social distancing, which can save pain and lives,乌鸦传媒� Passmore said.

With the exemption looming, Passmore said he is also hopeful the new rules will generate 乌鸦传媒渕ore nuanced乌鸦传媒� conversations between parents and kids about substances; boost understanding and awareness of benefits versus harms, rather than simply stating 乌鸦传媒渙h, it乌鸦传媒檚 illegal,乌鸦传媒� or 乌鸦传媒渋t乌鸦传媒檚 bad.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 glad that now乌鸦传媒� we can shift the conversations more towards harm reduction, understanding healthy relationships with drug use.乌鸦传媒�

However, the lower limit could also have an unintended consequence, he said 乌鸦传媒� that of encouraging manufacturers to boost the potency of their drugs, 乌鸦传媒渟o people can get a greater effect with a lesser amount.乌鸦传媒�

According to statistics released by the BC Coroners Service last fall, illicit-drug toxicity deaths have doubled to 42 per 100,000 people since the opioid crisis was declared a public-health emergency in April 2016.

At least 10,000 people in B.C. have died due to toxic-drug overdoses since that declaration; 1,827 of them in the first 10 months of 2022. In October alone, at least 179 lives were lost to the poisoned supply.

Cole Izsak, a South Surrey resident and founder of Back on Track Recovery House, does not believe the numbers will improve with decriminalization. He pointed to abstinence-based recovery and treatment 乌鸦传媒� which is the model his facility follows 乌鸦传媒� as a more effective direction than the one chosen.

乌鸦传媒淭o use our government乌鸦传媒檚 resources to perpetuate addiction, it doesn乌鸦传媒檛 feel right to me,乌鸦传媒� Izsak said.

乌鸦传媒淚t doesn乌鸦传媒檛 feel compassionate. It乌鸦传媒檚 disguised as compassion.乌鸦传媒�

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Izsak said the Portuguese model of decriminalization 乌鸦传媒� in which drug use and possession of small quantities are dealt with through an administrative process 乌鸦传媒� is one B.C. could learn from. It has been 乌鸦传媒渧ery effective over the past decade in decriminalizing simple possession,乌鸦传媒� he said.

Since 2001, Portugal has been referring those caught using or possessing small amounts of illicit drugs to panels of legal, health and social-work experts tasked with helping them tackle issues related to their drug use.

The tactic has been credited with decreasing the number of users diagnosed with HIV, hepatitis B and C; increasing the number of users receiving voluntary drug treatment; and, reducing drug-user incarceration numbers. As well, the country乌鸦传媒檚 overdose-death numbers are among the lowest in the European Union, according to a report in the series.

At Izsak乌鸦传媒檚 facility, the focus is 乌鸦传媒渢eaching (residents) how to live and showing them that clarity of mind and body is the right thing to do, even if getting high is fun sometimes.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淚n this day and age, (using drugs comes at) too great a cost,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 Russian roulette, because there乌鸦传媒檚 fentanyl in so much.乌鸦传媒�

Sturko 乌鸦传媒� who left the Surrey RCMP to pursue politics specifically because of the opioid crisis 乌鸦传媒� noted decriminalization is not exactly new in B.C. There has been a form of it 乌鸦传媒渇or quite some time,乌鸦传媒� she said, explaining that B.C. Prosecution Service 乌鸦传媒渧ery rarely乌鸦传媒� follows through on simple possession charges.

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She plans to meet with community advocates and people with lived experience, as well as her colleagues in other ministries in an effort to have a meaningful impact on the opioid crisis.

Passmore, noting the opioid crisis is the number 1 cause of deaths in B.C., said an 乌鸦传媒渦pstream乌鸦传媒� approach is key, and the new rules do have the potential to effect some change.

乌鸦传媒淚f anything, I hope that the decriminalization can really result in a shift in focus towards caring about people who are using substances in a variety of ways, and think about how do we connect with folks and support their well-being, without necessarily requiring them to stop using.乌鸦传媒�