Regrettable B.C. drug policy may come to Toronto under Justin Trudeau

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British Columbia’s experiment with decriminalizing all drugs has gone so bad that the NDP government there wants to reverse course.

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The Trudeau Liberals in Ottawa, though, the government that allowed B.C. to opt out of Canada’s drug laws, isn’t so sure and might expand the program to Toronto.

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Activists have pushed for increasingly liberal drug policies for years, claiming that it would cut overdose deaths and make communities safer. Last Friday, when announcing that he wants to mostly reverse the decriminalization policy, B.C. Premier David Eby said this policy wasn’t making people safer.

“While we are caring and compassionate for those struggling with addiction, we do not accept street disorder that makes communities feel unsafe,” Eby said.

Drug use in children’s playgrounds, on public transit and on street corners had become rampant. It also hadn’t cut the overdose deaths, as activists had claimed it would.

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B.C.’s decriminalization exemption kicked in on Jan. 30, 2023, meaning there were a full 11 months under the exemption. The province recorded 2,546 overdose deaths in 2023, which was 161 more than the previous record of 2,385 in 2022 and 2 1/2 times higher than the 996 deaths in 2016, when the Trudeau Liberals began altering Canada’s drug policy.

Still, when asked about allowing B.C. to recriminalize drugs in most parts of society – save private homes, shelters and a few other locations – Trudeau’s Mental Health and Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks was non-committal.

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“We are one year into a three-year pilot and we continue to work with the B.C. government to evaluate,” Saks said.

Pressed on what went wrong, Saks would only say that she’s evaluating. She also accused those who were raising questions and concerns – including mayors, councillors and the B.C. government – of polarizing the issue.

Asked directly if she would approve Toronto’s request to follow B.C.’s lead for decriminalization, Saks said she might.

“At this time, Toronto’s request is under review,” Saks said.

Toronto Public Health, supported by Mayor Olivia Chow, police Chief Myron Demkiw and medical officer Dr. Eileen de Villa, has called for decriminalization in Toronto.

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Under the so-called “Toronto Model,” the use of hard drugs like crack, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl would only be illegal in childcare centres, K-12 schools and airports. That means using on public transit or a community park, including a play area for kids, would be perfectly legal.

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This is what B.C. is pushing back against, but when asked about its application Toronto Public Health said it stands by its plan.

“Toronto is committed to ensuring that mental health and substance use are addressed as health issues rather than criminal issues,” a spokesperson for Toronto Public Health said in an email.

Ontario’s chief medical officer Dr. Kieran Moore said his call for decriminalization last month was “one policy option within a multi-component strategy to reduce opioid-related harms in Ontario.”

Moore said the province should continue to learn from B.C., Oregon and Portugal. Well, Portugal has a strong rehab component to its program, which is lacking in Canada and Oregon, and B.C. has pulled back from decriminalization, while Canadian activists like Moore, de Villa, Chow and the Trudeau government push ahead.

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“Sometimes I wonder where people’s brains are,” Premier Doug Ford said.

The premier is right. We’ve watched B.C. adopt every single harebrained drug liberalization policy activists have raised, only to see overdose deaths increase.

“I will fight this tooth and nail,” Ford said of the Toronto decriminalization effort.

The premier called for more treatment for addicts, not more drugs.

In the House of Commons, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre pushed the Trudeau government to grant the B.C. government its wish for recriminalization.

“She’s (Saks) wasting time while people are dying,” Poilievre said.

The reply from Saks was to say that her government has a plan. That plan seems to be standing pat as all these people die, while letting drug activists run public policy in Canada.

Once again, Trudeau can’t deliver for Canada. He can’t go soon enough.

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