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  • FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Province moves to circumvent B.C. Supreme Court, harm reduction nurses slam “recipe for preventable death”

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Province moves to circumvent B.C. Supreme Court, harm reduction nurses slam “recipe for preventable death”

    Victoria, B.C. | April 26, 2024 — The Harm Reduction Nurses Association is profoundly frustrated and disappointed to hear the British Columbia provincial government’s announcement that they have sought permission from the Federal government to recriminalize all people who are at risk of dying from the unregulated drug crisis who lack access to housing or 24/7 safer use spaces in their communities.

    “The B.C. government’s actions today will put people who use drugs and people who rely on public space at further risk of harm and death,” says Corey Ranger of the Harm Reduction Nurses Association. “We all want and deserve communities where all people, whether they use drugs or not, can access safety and well-being. By imposing these restrictions on the decriminalization pilot without offering real solutions like expanding overdose prevention services and access to housing, the province has declared some lives unworthy of saving.” 

    The BC Supreme Court injunction to prevent Bill 34, the Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act, from coming into force found that the province’s proposed restrictions on decriminalization would lead to irreparable harm. The Harm Reduction Nurses Association has previously reached out to the Province with an offer to collaborate to address concerns without causing further harm, through a range of legal and policy changes that would better protect the lives of people currently at risk of overdose and increase public safety. 

    “Rather than focus on solutions appropriate to the eight-year emergency we are in and thousands of lives lost, the Province has chosen to do an end-run around that court decision,” says DJ Larkin, co-counsel for HRNA and executive director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition. 

    “This pushes people who use drugs out of sight, to covert and isolated use. Combined with a toxic and unpredictable drug supply, that is a recipe for preventable drug poisoning death. We don’t want people to die hidden in alleyways,” says Ranger. “We don’t want any more families to have to grieve their loved ones. We want effective solutions. And we know that criminalization is no solution. This is a step back.” 

    HRNA members say B.C.’s actions directing healthcare workers in hospitals to follow policies that “prohibit drug possession, use and purchasing of illicit drugs,” will further impede nurses’ ability to ethically provide compassionate and life-saving care to people who use drugs. 

    “Principles of equity, autonomy and justice are embedded within nursing regulatory professional practice requirements,” says Michelle Danda of HRNA. “These policy directives will further marginalize and stigmatize people who use drugs and create division between nurses and patients as opposed to a community to support care. We need nurses to unite around compassionate, evidence-informed care.” 

    “To keep everyone safer – including nurses and all healthcare workers – we need widespread access to safer use spaces, including inhalation services,” says Ranger. “We can achieve safety without resorting to punitive measures.”

    HRNA has outlined a number of actions the Province could take that would help, not harm, including: 

    • Rapid scaling-up of supervised consumption sites wherever they are needed 
    • Exploring options to responsibly regulate the drug supply for safety 
    • Scaling up access to regulated, evidence-based voluntary non-profit treatment 
    • Investing heavily in affordable housing and poverty reduction 

    More than a century of prohibition has demonstrated that enforcement has not decreased drug availability or use, is extremely expensive, and is clearly linked to an increased risk of overdose and cycles of homelessness. 

    “The decriminalization pilot has its drawbacks, and ultimately does not address the unregulated toxic drug supply that continues to drive this crisis,” says Larkin. “Even so, it is an important part of a broader shift. To be effective in reducing harm and supporting healthy communities, it must be accompanied by additional actions. Blaming the decriminalization pilot for systemic issues of rising homelessness and visible poverty scapegoats those already suffering. When we see public drug use, it is because people do not have housing, services or safe places to go – and because people want to stay alive, not die alone and out of sight.”

    Today’s announcement is a direct circumvention of the Bill 34 injunction and poses the very same risk for irreparable harm. 

    -30- 

    Links and Resources: 

    • B.C. Supreme Court Ruling on Injunction Application 
    • Bill 34 – Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act
    • April 16, 2024 HRNA Press Release
    • December 30, 2023 HRNA Press Release 

    Media Contact:

    [email protected]

  • B.C.’s Decriminalization Pilot and VPD Drug Seizures

    B.C.’s Decriminalization Pilot and VPD Drug Seizures

    Today, the Vancouver Police Department reported a decrease in seizures related to simple drug possession since British Columbia’s decriminalization pilot launched in early 2023. While this news is positive, it doesn’t give us the full picture of how drug-related issues are being handled in the criminal-legal system. We need more openness and clarity. To truly reduce harm through decriminalization, we must minimize police involvement and interactions overall. Matters concerning substance use – including referrals and outreach – should be dealt with through health and social systems, not police. 

    Police Interactions Can Drive Harm

    It is important to note that when the VPD reports they made no seizures for simple possession, it does not mean there were no police interactions with individuals who use drugs. We know that interactions with police and criminal justice systems often drive harm for people who use drugs. For example, we do not have enough information about whether police might categorize seizures as “possession for the purposes of trafficking” rather than simple possession. We also lack data on informal interactions with the police that do not result in seizures, but still have similar negative impacts. These unrecorded interactions can cause the same harms as criminalization, including increasing the risk of death from unregulated drugs due to fear of police intervention and drug confiscation. 

    BC Drug Decriminalization Threshold Too Low

    The combined 2.5 gram threshold for decriminalization is too low to effectively decriminalize people who use drugs in B.C.  It does not reflect the evidence regarding the quantities people use or the behaviours of a variety of groups, including people living in rural or remote communities and those purchasing from a safer, more trusted seller. As a result, the 2.5 gram threshold is not a useful measure to determine what is simple possession and what is possession for the purposes of trafficking. More than 30 B.C. organizations have endorsed a recommendation to either remove threshold amounts in their entirety, or immediately scale up the decriminalized personal possession threshold to 28 grams (1 oz) for all illicit drugs, including those currently excluded such as ketamine and benzodiazepines. 

    We Need Drug Policies That Will Keep Us Safe

    There are clear links between criminalizing drug use and causing harm. Enforcement has not reduced drug availability or use. It also comes at a high financial cost, while contributing to an increased risk of overdose and cycles of homelessness. Decriminalization, on the other hand, is associated with fewer people being incarcerated or involved with the criminal-legal system, reduced stigma and better access to services – all of which help prevent harm and overdoses. That is why decriminalization is a crucial part of a larger shift in drug laws and policies to make our communities safer for everyone. This shift must also prioritize equitable access to overdose prevention sites, healthcare, responsibly regulated substances, affordable housing, sufficient income, and evidence-based, voluntary, non-profit treatment. 

  • FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Silence from Ontario Ministry of Health as Time Runs Out to Save Supervised Consumption Sites 

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Silence from Ontario Ministry of Health as Time Runs Out to Save Supervised Consumption Sites 

    Ontario, Canada | March 18, 2024 

    Two weeks have passed since 51 groups from across Ontario sent an open letter calling on the provincial government to immediately fund and support supervised consumption sites. But despite the coalition’s request for an emergency meeting by March 13, Minister of Health Sylvia Jones and Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Michael Tibollo have not responded.

    The groups are speaking out to secure emergency funding and prevent impending closures of sites in Sudbury and Timmins. More than 500 people have died from drug poisoning in Ontario so far this year. 

    “I am horrified. This is a life-and-death emergency, and we are being ignored,” says Rev. George Bozanich of the Windsor CTS Advocacy Coalition. “Without these services, Ontarians die.  These are our children, parents, siblings and neighbours. I cannot imagine the Ministers and the Premier ignoring a similar lifesaving request on any other issue.”   

    Since the current provincial government came to power in 2018, unregulated drug deaths have surged. “Toxic drugs killed nine people every day in the first two months of this year,” says Beeta Senedjani of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition. “The dead would fill every seat on at least eleven school buses. This is an emergency. The province needs to start acting like it.”   

    Supervised consumption sites are a proven health intervention where trained staff respond to overdose emergencies and offer supports and connections to health and social services. Evidence consistently shows the sites save lives and significantly reduce emergency calls and hospital visits.  

    “The province’s actions have put municipal governments, local health boards and even the public in the impossible position of having to either foot the bill for a provincial responsibility or watch their communities suffer,” says Matthew Shoemaker, Mayor of Sault Ste. Marie. “This crisis is a foremost challenge for municipalities, who don’t have the resources or the mandate to fund health care. We badly need stable support and action from the Government of Ontario and we need it now.”  

    “The entire years-long process has been an irresponsible use of public funds,” says Michael Brennan of Pozitive Pathways in Windsor, whose site was forced to close in December. “Supervised consumption sites are a proven lifesaving intervention that reduce costs and burdens across our public systems, on police, paramedics and emergency departments. We have complied with every requirement.  We cannot wait any longer.” 

    Last fall, the Province of Ontario put all supervised consumption site applications on indefinite hold pending a critical incident review for one site in Toronto. The decision came after a bystander was tragically killed in the vicinity of a Toronto site last summer.  

    “A lengthy review of a tragic, isolated incident is preventing desperate communities across the province from implementing lifesaving services amidst a public health emergency,” says Michael Parkinson of the Drug Strategy Network of Ontario. “Critical incidents occur frequently in other settings, such as hospitals. But they never result in freezing funding or site approvals.”  

    Several communities have waited for approval since long before the review. Barrie and Sudbury applied over two years ago. Citing the province’s pause, a Hamilton application was withdrawn after two years. In Sault Ste Marie, a site application is instead being directed to the federal government. Windsor’s only site shut its doors at the end of December after waiting over a year. Without immediate provincial funding, sites in Sudbury and Timmins will close in two weeks. 

    “When I think about losing Safe Health Site Timmins, I am afraid for our community,” says Jason Sereda of DIY Community Health in Timmins. “We are running out of time.” Premier Doug Ford has said the review results will be released this month, too late for those who have already died of drug poisoning. 

    The open letter calls for the elimination of unnecessary barriers and immediate sustained provincial funding for supervised consumption sites, including inhalation services, to meet the urgent needs of communities. The coalition emphasizes that these demands require immediate provincial action to prevent further loss of life and harm to communities across Ontario. 

    “Minister Jones, please listen to us. This is an emergency,” says Amber Fritz of Réseau ACCESS Network in Sudbury. “We need your leadership. You have a choice: you have the opportunity to save lives and costs to the system, or you can continue to do nothing. If our loved ones die, that will be your legacy.”   

    -30- 

    Documents and links available: 

    • Open Letter 
    • [Recording] March 5 2024 Online Briefing on Open Letter RE: Ontario Supervised Consumption Services with speakers from the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, Pozitive Pathways in Windsor, Reseau ACCESS in Sudbury, Safe Health Site in Timmins and the Drug Strategy Network of Ontario.  

    Media Contact: 

    Jessica Hannon for the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition [contact to arrange interviews]

  • Unpacking Police Statements on Drug Seizures: What Do We Know?

    Unpacking Police Statements on Drug Seizures: What Do We Know?

    Police communications about drug seizures vary widely in their accuracy. These statements rarely share specific evidence or data sources and sometimes contain errors or overstatements, as in the recent case in Belleville, Ontario and emerging information on Prince George. Police announcing large seizures of prescribed alternatives to the unregulated drug supply as Prince George RCMP did this month may drive fear and influence policy, even if based primarily on assumption. Without forensic testing, police may base their conclusions on visual assessments of shape, size, colour and packaging. Many of these visual clues can be closely copied by producers of counterfeit pills.  

    Most hydromorphone is prescribed for pain management, not as safe supply. If police do not have evidence of the reasons seized medications were prescribed, it is irresponsible for them to speculate. If police have demonstrable proof that drug seizures include prescription medications, they should refer to them as such, rather than guess or assume they are prescribed safer supply. 

    We know a few things for certain:  

    • There is always some possibility that people will re-sell or give away their medications, no matter the reason they are prescribed. The sale of prescription drugs on the illicit market is not a new phenomenon. We also know that prescribed alternatives account for only 14 per cent of hydromorphone prescribed in the province of BC – the vast majority of hydromorphone prescriptions are for pain management.  
    • We have zero doubts as to what continues to kill thousands of people across the country, and it is not prescription medications. Unregulated illicit drugs are driving deaths. Rates of drug use across Canada have remained stable over the past decade, while drug deaths have skyrocketed. The unregulated drug supply has become drastically more toxic and more dangerous.  
    • According to Health Canada, of all accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths from January to June 2023, 80 per cent involved opioids that were only non-pharmaceutical. Data from the BC Coroners Service shows no indication prescribed alternatives are driving deaths. Hydromorphone was detected in three per cent of expedited toxicological testing in 2023, whereas illicit fentanyl was present in 85 per cent of such tests. 
    • We know counterfeit prescription pills are manufactured and sold on the illicit market. These drugs are unregulated and can be dangerous, in part because they may be seen as lower risk. It is unclear whether or to what extent police test seized drugs to determine their actual contents before making public statements, versus assuming their source and contents based on appearance or other clues. 
    • Police claim by removing illicit drugs from the streets, they save lives. But growing evidence shows drug busts are associated with higher fatal overdose rates.  

    It is useful to understand why and to what extent prescription drugs make their way into the illicit drug market. We must navigate that reality, both to support people and communities and to ensure prescribed alternatives are effective in reducing the harms of unregulated drugs. But if we seek to stop mass drug toxicity deaths, fixating on prescription drugs misses the point. 

    We cannot lump all substances together. Prescription medications have the potential to be harmful, but they do not kill 22 people every day in Canada. It is unregulated illicit drugs that are killing people. We rely on police to share accurate information about public safety. Stoking public misunderstanding and fear about prescribed alternatives – a potentially lifesaving intervention with the support of the Provincial Health Officer, the BC Coroner’s Office, the BC Coroner’s Expert Death Review panel, a range of health professionals, policymakers, public health experts, researchers, and yes, even a range of police services – is an irresponsible distraction. 

  • Canadian Drug Policy Coalition/ Doalition canadienne des politiques sur les drogues

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ontario Braces for Loss of Vital Services as 51 Organizations Demand Province Act on Supervised Consumption Sites  

    Ontario, Canada | March 5, 2024 — Fifty-one community groups from across Ontario are calling on the provincial government to immediately fund and support supervised consumption services amidst the worsening toxic drug crisis. In an open letter released this morning, the coalition called for eight urgent actions, including direct emergency funding, with a deadline of March 29. Citing recent and imminent closures of sites in Windsor, Sudbury, and Timmins, the group demanded swift intervention to prevent further deaths. 

    In Ontario, seven to 10 people are killed every day by toxic unregulated drugs. An estimated 3,644 people lost their lives in 2023 alone. Supervised consumption services are a proven health intervention where trained staff can respond to overdoses, offering supports and connections to health and social services. Evidence consistently shows the sites save lives and significantly reduce emergency calls and hospital visits. 

    Last fall, the Province of Ontario put all supervised consumption services funding applications on indefinite hold pending a lengthy review period, adding to the already years-long wait for some jurisdictions. The decision came after a bystander was tragically killed by an incident of gun violence in the vicinity of a Toronto site last summer. Results of the review are expected this month, but come too late for those who have died of drug poisonings in the interim. 

    Citing the province’s pause, an application in Hamilton was withdrawn in October 2023. In Sault Ste Marie, a site application is instead being directed to the federal government. Windsor’s only site shut its doors at the end of December. Without provincial funding, sites in Sudbury and Timmins will close at the end of this month. 

    The open letter highlights how these funding delays have impacted communities already reeling from the effects of the toxic drug crisis.  

    “We want to ensure that people who use substances continue to have self-determination over their health outcomes,” says Michael Brennan of Pozitive Pathways in Windsor. “And that, just like anyone else, they have the tools, resources and support available without barriers.” 

    The first supervised consumption sites in Ontario opened in 2017. Within months, 20 sites were operating throughout the province. In June 2018, the current provincial government was elected. Since then, the unregulated drug supply has become increasingly volatile and dangerous. “Instead of scaling up sites, the current government added layers of bureaucracy, put an arbitrary cap of 21 sites across the entire province, and has delayed and impeded approval and funding of new sites,” says Nick Boyce of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition. “Some applications have sat waiting for over two years, while people are dying.” 

    There are currently only 17 provincially-funded supervised consumption sites in Ontario. There is just one site in northern Ontario, which has among the highest drug-related death rates in the country. Data indicates Timmins and Sudbury have an opioid toxicity mortality rate nearly three times the provincial average. 

    Some sites, including Windsor, Timmins and Sudbury, have had to temporarily rely on municipal funding and public donations to operate. “This is a health issue. These sites should be funded by the Ministry of Health,” says Dr. Julie Samson of Timmins and District Hospital. “Why are municipalities, local health boards, and even the caring public having to step in to do the province’s job?”  

    “With overdose alerts across Ontario, state of emergency declarations from several municipalities and hundreds of needless prevented deaths and injuries each month, we encourage elected officials to prioritize the safety of residents by expediting outstanding requests and eliminating the political red-tape blocking consumption services,” says Michael Parkinson of the Drug Strategy Network of Ontario. 

    Local organizations worry the decision will lead to more deaths and set back efforts to connect people to supports.   

    “In the 16 months that The Spot has been open, we have seen the incredible impact it has had on those who access the service,” says Amber Fritz, Manager of Supervised Consumption Services at Réseau ACCESS Network in Sudbury. “It is a place of safety, self-determination, community and support. The drug poisoning crisis has shown no sign of abating; drugs have become more toxic, volatile and deadly. Members of our communities deserve better. Using drugs should not be a death sentence.” 

    “The Safe Health Site Timmins is saving lives, reducing demand on emergency services and actively connecting people with withdrawal management and treatment services,” says Samson. “The risks associated with closing of this site are significant and have the potential to negatively impact our entire community.” 

    Safe Health Site Timmins has directly contributed to the dramatic reduction of opioid-related fatalities in our community,” says Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau. “Quite simply, it saves lives. Northern Ontario suffers from higher rates of hospitalization, overdose and death from opioid use compared to communities in the south. These sites give us a fighting chance to mitigate the negative effects caused by drug use. We need immediate and sustainable funding for Safe Health Site Timmins. It is imperative to the continued safety and well-being of our community.” 

     The letter calls for the elimination of unnecessary barriers and the immediate provision of sustained provincial funding for supervised consumption sites, including inhalation services, to meet the urgent needs of communities. The coalition emphasizes that these demands require immediate action from the provincial government to prevent further loss of life and harm to communities across Ontario. 

    “Our community has been fighting for a supervised consumption site since 2019,” says Reverend Christine Nayler of Ryan’s Hope in Barrie. “In the five years since our fight for this life-saving site began my son Ryan and my nephew Josh both lost their lives to toxic drugs, along with over 215 other community members. If those in power, whose desk these applications sit on, were the ones who had to deliver the heartbreaking news to the families left behind or if they had to attend each funeral, I don’t think they would still be stalling. These are not numbers; these were our children, our siblings, our nieces and nephews, neighbours and friends.” 

    -30- 

    Documents and links available: 

    Media Contacts: 

    At time of publication on March 6, 2024, the following organizations have sent the open letter: 

    DJ Larkin, Executive Director, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition 

    Heidi Eisenhauer, Executive Director, Réseau ACCESS Network 

    Janet Butler-McPhee & Sandra Ka Hon Chu, Co-Executive Directors, HIV Legal Network 
    Dr. Julie Samson, MD, CCFP (EM), Co-lead Addiction Medicine Consult Team, Timmins and District Hospital  
    Michael Brennan, Executive Director, Pozitive Pathways Community Service 

    Michael Parkinson, Coordinator, Drug Strategy Network of Ontario 

    And the following organizations have endorsed the open letter: 

    Adrian R. Betts, Executive Director, AIDS Committee of Durham Region (ACDR) 

    Alyssa Wright, Co-Lead, Supervised Consumption Saves Lives – Barrie 

    Andrea Sereda, Dr., London Intercommunity Health Centre 

    Avery, PFAC Member, WEOHT 

    Brooke Rorseth, Crisis Worker (MSW, RSW), Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare 

    Dane Record, Executive Director, PARN 

    Denise Baldwin, Administrator, Indigenous Harm Reduction Network 

    Dr. Dan Werb, Executive Director, Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation 

    Dr. Doris Grinspun, RN, BScN, MSN, PhD, LLD(hon), Dr(hc), DHC, DHC, FAAN, FCAN, O.ONT., Chief Executive Officer, Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) 

    Eric Cashmore, Executive Director, The Seeking Help Project 

    Farihah Ali, Manager and Scientific Lead, Ontario CRISM Node 

    Heather Johnson-Dobransky, Director of Operations, Hiatus House 

    Holly Gauvin, Executive Director, Elevate NWO 

    Jackie Barrett-Greene, Director, Positive Living Niagara 

    Jason Sereda, President, Board of Directors, DIY Community Health Timmins 

    John Maxwell, Executive Director, ACT 

    Julie Nobert-DeMarchi, Executive Director, Timmins & Area Women in Crisis 

    Karla Ghartey, Member; Assistant Professor, Sudbury Temporary Overdose Prevention Society; Nipissing University 

    Kate Fairbairn, Patient, Family & Caregiver- Partnership Council, Windsor Essex Ontario Health Care team 

    Khaled Salam, Executive Director, AIDS Committee of Ottawa 

    Lindsay Jennings, Reintegration Specialist, Incarcerated Voters of Ontario 

    Lisa Toner, Team Lead, Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy 

    Liv Delair, Co-Chair, Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy 

    Luciano Carlone, Interim CEO, Canadian Mental Heath Association, Windsor Essex County Branch 

    Marie Morton, Executive Director, CAYR Community Connections 

    Meghan Young, Executive Director, Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy (OAhas) 

    Mike Murphy, Addiction Medicine Physician, NOSM U 

    Mika Wee, Steering Committee Member, Shelter & Housing Justice Network 

    Mona Loutfy, Maple Leaf Medical Clinic 

    Michelle Boileau, Mayor, City of Timmins 

    Nadine Sookermany, Executive Director, Fife House 

    Olivia Mancini, Registered Social Worker / Co-Founder, Student Overdose Prevention and Education Network 

    Patty MacDonald, Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Mental Health Association – Sudbury/Manitoulin 

    Rebecca Robinson, Violence Against Women’s Services Coordinator, Sudbury and Area Victim Services 

    Reverend Christine Nayler, Co-founder/ Director, Ryan’s Hope 

    Rita Taillefer, Executive Director, Windsor Essex Community Health Centre 

    Ruth Cameron, Executive Director, ACCKWA 

    Ruth Fox, Regional Director, Ontario, Moms Stop the Harm 

    Seamus Murphy, Deputy Chief of Standards and Community Services, Cochrane District Paramedic Service 

    Shelley Muldoon, Director, Mental Health and Addictions, Woodstock Hospital 

    Suzanne Paddock, Executive Director, Toronto People With AIDS Foundation 

    Thierry Croussette, Board President, Seizure and Brain Injury Centre 

    Tiffany Pyoli York, Co-Chair, Greater Sudbury Anti Human Trafficking Coalition 

    Toronto Overdose Prevention Society 

    Victoria Scott, Director, Engage Barrie Organization 

  • Canadian Drug Policy Coalition/ Doalition canadienne des politiques sur les drogues

    One year of decriminalization in BC: What’s really going on? 

    A misinformation campaign around public use legislation distracts from real solutions 

    January 31, 2024 | One year ago today, British Columbia decriminalized personal possession of small amounts of some drugs in limited locations in a three-year pilot project. Since then, an organized political campaign has spent time and money to cloud public perception and discredit evidence-based efforts. Let’s cut through the rhetoric and talk about what is and isn’t working with decriminalization, and what a better way forward could be.  

    It’s understandable people are concerned, as drug poisoning deaths reach their highest-ever levels: with 2511 deaths last year alone, communities across B.C. feel the impact of this crisis. Under decriminalization, adults carrying up to 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA in specific places will not be subject to criminal charges: police cannot seize their drugs, arrest or charge them for simple possession. Instead, they are directed to services. The pilot excludes schools, childcare facilities, playgrounds, splash pads and skate parks, among other locations. Decriminalization has support amongst public health and policy experts, including B.C.’s provincial health officer and chief coroner.  

    Decriminalization reduces incarceration, police involvement, stigma, and disconnection from services – all of which drive harm and overdose. In that regard, it is working. From February to June 2023, B.C. possession offences fell 76 per cent, diverting hundreds of people from the criminal justice system. But decriminalization is just one tool, and the driving forces behind overdose, homelessness and public use remain unaddressed. Critically, decriminalization does not address the toxicity of the unregulated drug market repeatedly recommended by experts, including the BC Coroners Service Death Review Panel. Waits for detox remain weeks-long and gold standard substitution options remain widely inaccessible. To top it off, actors within the unregulated private treatment industry continue to evade accountability for their response to allegations of misconduct, deaths and political scandal.  

    If you think you are seeing more unhoused people than ever, you’re right – but not because of decriminalization. While drug use rates remain stable, homelessness has risen considerably: up 32 per cent across 11 Lower Mainland communities and 65 per cent in Surrey. Some critics wrongly attribute these worsening social issues to decriminalization. Content creators, treatment industry lobbyists and municipal mayors alike have blamed the policy for alleged spikes in public drug use, fuel for a politicized assault.

    But decriminalization cannot build homes; open supervised consumption sites; undo decades of housing divestment; reverse generational traumas of colonization; create responsive health care systems; or influence the unregulated drug market. If the government was serious about tackling the drug poisoning crisis and finding solutions to public drug use, there are clear places to start. Scaling up permanent welfare-rate housing and renewing modular housing leases would reduce visible poverty. Opening overdose prevention services in every community, per the still-unfulfilled 2016 Ministerial Order, would create safer indoor spaces for use while facilitating access to healthcare and treatment, reducing emergency costs, and improving neighbourhood cleanliness. Most importantly, B.C. could prevent deaths by responsibly regulating the drug supply to standardize content, access and use, all while increasing tax revenue and diverting hundreds of millions of dollars of profit from organized crime. 

    Although evidence-based solutions exist, the government is choosing reactionary politics to push the poorest people in society out of voters’ line of vision. Despite existing limits on decriminalization, the Province introduced Bill 34, which encourages racist and anti-poor stereotyping, ordering police to remove people from public spaces based on suspected rather than observed drug use. Pushing unhoused people into isolation will increase overdose deaths and countless other social harms. So if you are upset about rising poverty and death despite decriminalization, please redirect your anger toward the politicians who care more about getting re-elected than building healthy, happy communities.

    Authors: Anmol Swaich, SUDU (Surrey Union of Drug Users) Sarah Lovegrove, the EIDGE (Eastside Illicit Drinkers Group for Education) and Aaron Bailey

    Anmol Swaich is a MSc student and Research Assistant in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University and a Community Organizer with Surrey Union of Drug Users. 

    Sarah Lovegrove is a registered nurse and member of the Harm Reduction Nurses Association. 

    Aaron Bailey holds a Master of Science in Health Promotion from Queen’s University, serves as Program Coordinator at the Eastside Illicit Drinkers Group for Education (EIDGE) and supports operations of the VANDU Overdose Prevention Site.

  • FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: On the Anniversary of Decriminalization, Coalition Releases Vision for BC Drug Policy  

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: On the Anniversary of Decriminalization, Coalition Releases Vision for BC Drug Policy  

    British Columbia, Canada | January 31, 2024  

    Frustrated by insufficient responses to escalating toxic drug deaths, today a coalition of civil society organizations and people who use drugs unveiled a comprehensive policy platform aimed at ending the unregulated drug crisis and fostering healthy communities. 

    Released on the one-year anniversary of the launch of British Columbia’s decriminalization pilot, To End a Crisis: Vision for BC Drug Policy outlines a roadmap for transforming the province’s drug policies. 

    It has been nearly eight years since the province first declared a public health emergency due to overdose deaths. Seven people die each day in British Columbia from unregulated drugs: 2023 saw 2,511 lives lost, the highest on record in a single year. Community-led efforts and frontline responses have mitigated some harm caused by unregulated drug toxicity, but advocates argue government support for these actions has been inadequate given the urgency, magnitude and scope of this crisis.  

    In the year since BC launched its three-year pilot project decriminalizing the simple possession of small amounts of some drugs in some locations, a wave of politicized rhetoric has threatened to undermine its potential impacts. The Vision for BC Drug Policy aims to articulate a clear path forward, addressing the roots of the crisis through evidence and shared values, not stigma and fear. Endorsers, including drug policy organizations, people who use drugs, and a range of civil society groups representing labour, poverty reduction, health, justice and civil liberties, argue that transformational change is necessary.  

    “In the BCCLA’s view, the use of involuntary drug treatment, police presence during wellness checks, closure of overdose prevention sites, and provincial and municipal laws to recriminalize drug use in B.C. are not reasonable methods of preventing harm and saving lives during an ongoing drug poisoning crisis,” says Safiyya Ahmad of the BC Civil Liberties Association. “It is our hope that the Vision will provide a foundation from which social justice groups, legal advocates, people directly affected and government actors can take inspiration to refocus on harm reduction practices and human rights approaches to drug policy.” 

    “As an organization representing 60,000 workers from over 90 affiliated unions, we know how deeply the unregulated drug crisis has affected our members, as it has all British Columbians,” says Stephen von Sychowski of Vancouver District Labour Council. “Working people have been hit hard, and we know we need a new approach. That’s why it is important for us to take a stand on this.” 

    “Our Coalition, comprised of over 80 organizations and community mobilizations, endorses the Vision because this is the change our communities desperately need. We know that centring living expertise and evidence-based approaches are the keys to solutions,” says Rowan Burdge, Provincial Director of the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition. “By addressing the roots of the crisis, we’re not just talking about policy change—we’re talking about saving lives, humanizing people, and building a future where everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can thrive.”  

    The BC Vision for Drug Policy outlines four key areas for reform: 

    • Drug Regulation: The Vision advocates for responsible regulation of drugs to displace the toxic unregulated drug supply 
    • Decriminalization: Emphasizing the need to separate policing from substance use, the Vision aims to empower individuals to seek support without fear of criminal sanctions. 
    • Addressing Substantive Equality: Recognizing the intersectionality of drug-related issues, the Vision seeks to tackle root social problems perpetuating cycles of poverty, homelessness, family separation, and social exclusion. 
    • Detox, Recovery, and Treatment: Focusing on voluntary choices, the Vision calls for evidence-based programs and services to reduce the trauma and death associated with the current unregulated treatment landscape. 

    Anchored in three guiding principles: autonomy, choice, and compassion, the Vision challenges stereotypes by asserting that drug use is morally neutral, and urges policies grounded in contemporary best practices and empirical evidence. 

    “The thousands of deaths of our families, loved ones and neighbours are largely preventable. Nearly eight years into this emergency, we must not become numb to the scale of this suffering,” says Nicole Luongo of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition. “Moving from broken policy towards a vision grounded in autonomy, choice, and compassion is not only essential; it is an act of love and care for all.”  

    Organizations and individuals can learn more and endorse the Vision for BC Drug Policy: drugpolicy.ca/visionforBCdrugpolicy 

    -30- 

     Images, documents and links available: 

    Media Contact: 

    Jessica Hannon for the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition 

    [email protected] 

    At time of publication on January 31 2024, the following organizations have endorsed To End a Crisis: Vision for BC Drug Policy: 

    Canadian Drug Policy Coalition  

    Pivot Legal Society 

    British Columbia Civil Liberties Association 

    B.C. Health Coalition 

    B.C. Poverty Reduction Coalition 

    Surrey Newton Union of Drug Users (SNUDU) 

    Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 5536 

    SOLID Outreach 

    Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) 

    Vancouver District Labour Council (VDLC) 

    Workers for Ethical Substance Use Policy (WESUP) 

    B.C. Association of People on Methadone (BCAPOM) 

    Coalition of Peers Dismantling the Drug War (CPDDW) 

    Care Not Cops 

    Nanaimo Community Action Team 

    Nanaimo Area Network of Drug Users (NANDU) 

    Mountainside Harm Reduction Society 

    Living Positive Resource Centre 

    Prisoners’ Legal Services 

    Coalition of Substance Users of the North (CSUN) 

    Chilliwack Community Action Team 

    Rural Empowered Drug Users’ Network (REDUN) 

    Harm Reduction Nurses Association  

    Dudes Club Society 

    AVI Health and Community Services 

    Moms Stop the Harm 

    Kilala Lelum Health and Wellness Cooperative 

    About the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition 

    Founded in 2010, the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition works in partnership with more than 60 organizations and 7,000 individuals working to support the development of a drug policy for Canada that is based in science, guided by public health principles, respectful of the human rights of all, and seeks to include people who use drugs and those harmed by the war on drugs in moving towards a healthier society. Learn more at www.drugpolicy.ca 

    About the BC Civil Liberties Association 

    The BCCLA works to promote, defend, sustain, and extend civil liberties and human rights in British Columbia and Canada. We achieve this mandate through four core programs: litigation in court; law and policy reform; public legal education; community-based information assistance and advocacy. Relentless in our pursuit of justice, we have grown from a small group of academics and activists to a non-partisan and non-profit organization of people who continue to fight for civil liberties and human rights. Learn more at www.bccla.org 

    About the Vancouver District Labour Council 

    The VDLC represents 60,000 workers from over 90 affiliated unions in our community. Labour council members work at food stores, on the docks, in public services, construction and much more. We work to advance the rights, common interests, and welfare of working people through political action, education, community service, and active solidarity. We unite to build just, affordable, and resilient communities. We are a chartered body of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), representing 3.5 million unionized Canadians. The VDLC was founded in 1889 as the “Vancouver Trades and Labour Council”, making it one of the oldest labour organizations in the country. Learn more at www.vdlc.ca 

    About the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition 

    The BC Poverty Reduction Coalition is comprised of over 80 organizations and community mobilizations that come together to advocate for public policy solutions to end poverty, homelessness and inequality in B.C. We aim to improve the health and well-being of all living in British Columbia. The Coalition advocates for a targeted and comprehensive poverty reduction strategy that prioritizes equity-seeking groups, and a whole government, cross-ministry approach to ending poverty. Our work is grounded in the foundation of universal human rights. Learn more at www.bcpovertyreduction.ca 

  • FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: National Organizations Deeply Concerned with Saskatchewan’s Health Policy Shift

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: National Organizations Deeply Concerned with Saskatchewan’s Health Policy Shift

    People who use drugs will suffer the consequences of backward-thinking and restrictive policies 

    January 26, 2024 | Two leading national human rights organizations have addressed the Saskatchewan provincial government to express profound concern over changes that restrict access to vital harm reduction supplies and safety information. The HIV Legal Network and the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition sent the letter yesterday, urging the government to reverse the changes and ground policy in evidence, human rights and best practice. 

    On January 18, Saskatchewan’s provincial health ministry announced it would stop providing clean pipes and require people to exchange a used needle to receive a sterile one, as well as stop distributing education resources on safer pipe use practices. Third-party organizations would also not be permitted to used provincial funds for these purposes. Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Tim McLeod said providing information to people who use drugs on how to stay safer, “sends the wrong message to people who we want to help.” 

    The HIV Legal Network and the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition contend these restrictions pose a severe threat to the health and safety of people in Saskatchewan, particularly those at risk of contracting hepatitis C and HIV, as well as drug poisoning and overdose.  

    “If the Saskatchewan government is concerned about sending messages with its policies, let’s be clear. The message this sends is that if you use drugs or live with addiction, the government does not care about your safety,” says DJ Larkin, executive director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition. 

    The HIV Legal Network stresses the vital role that harm reduction information and supplies play in mitigating the spread of HIV and hepatitis C. “Saskatchewan already has by far the highest rate of new HIV infections in Canada,” say Sandra Ka Hon Chu and Janet Butler-McPhee of the HIV Legal Network. “This is a reckless move, and a terrible use of public health dollars. Limiting access to cost-effective interventions proven to keep people safer – and alive – is counterproductive. Anyone who loves someone who uses drugs in Saskatchewan should be very alarmed by this backwards shift in policy.”

    Saskatchewan is already facing disproportionately high rates of HIV and hepatitis C cases. The province has the highest rate of new HIV diagnoses in Canada, according to 2022 data from the Public Health Agency of Canada. While the rate of new diagnoses of HIV in Canada is 3.8 per 100,000 people, in Saskatchewan, the rate is more than five times that, at 20.3 per 100,000 people. Hepatitis C surveillance data from 2021 shows Saskatchewan had 38.3 reported cases per 100,000 population, versus the national rate of 19.7 new cases per 100,000. 

    Information available on the government of Saskatchewan’s website recognizes the importance of sterile supplies to reduce harm, encouraging the public to “protect yourself from HIV [and] hepatitis C…use new, clean needles each time you use drugs, and do not share supplies with other people.” 

    The policy announcement comes as the Saskatchewan Coroners Service has indicated the number of drug toxicity deaths in 2023 is likely to set a provincial record, with a possible 484 lives lost. 

    “This approach is completely unsupported by any evidence,” says Larkin. “None of this will stop people from using drugs. It will only stop people from getting the information and supplies they need to stay safer. People in Saskatchewan will be hurt by this decision.” 

    Local organizations offering programs and services to support those actively using or affected by substance use worry the decision will harm marginalized communities, hamper efforts to connect people to supports, and put further strain on grassroots organizations already providing life-saving services on shoestring budgets.  

    “Our funding already falls short of what’s needed to support the 300 people who regularly access our services,” says Kayla DeMong of Prairie Harm Reduction. “We’re not willing to abandon people, so we’ll have to find a way to fund the supplies on our own. The fact that the government is making our work harder is so disheartening.” 

    The joint letter urges officials to reverse the changes, and engage in open dialogue with the organizations, people with lived and living experience, public health experts, frontline workers, and other stakeholders to explore approaches grounded in evidence that prioritize the health and safety of all Saskatchewan residents. 

    Read the open letter here. 

    -30- 

    Media Contact: 

    To arrange interviews, email: [email protected]

    About the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition 

    Founded in 2010, the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition works in partnership with more than 60 organizations and 7,000 individuals working to support the development of a drug policy for Canada that is based in science, guided by public health principles, respectful of the human rights of all, and seeks to include people who use drugs and those harmed by the war on drugs in moving towards a healthier society. Learn more at www.drugpolicy.ca 

    About HIV Legal Network 

    The HIV Legal Network promotes the human rights of people living with HIV or AIDS and other populations disproportionately affected by HIV, punitive laws and policies, and criminalization, in Canada and internationally. We do this through research and analysis, litigation and other advocacy, public education, and community mobilization. Learn more at www.hivlegalnetwork.ca 

    About Prairie Harm Reduction

    Prairie Harm Reduction is a community based non-profit organization, in the heart of the inner city of Saskatoon, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for all members of our community through gold standards in harm reduction, emphasizing local action with national impact. www.prairiehr.ca

  • Open Letter to Saskatchewan government Re: Health Policy Changes

    Open Letter to Saskatchewan government Re: Health Policy Changes

    January 25, 2024

    To: 

    Hon. Scott Moe Premier of Saskatchewan [email protected] 

    Hon. Everett Hindley Minister of Health [email protected] 

    Hon. Tim McLeod Minister of Mental Health and Addictions [email protected] 

    Re: Recent Saskatchewan Health Policy Changes 

    Premier Moe, Minister Hindley, Minister McLeod; 

    We are writing on behalf of the HIV Legal Network and the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition to express our grave concern at the Saskatchewan government’s recent health policy changes, announced January 18, 2024. 

    The changes, which include restricting access to vital harm reduction supplies and information encouraging safer substance use, will jeopardize efforts to combat the transmission of HIV and hepatitis C, shutter cost-effective and proven health interventions, and contradict decades of established scientific evidence, best practice in public health, and international guidance. Ultimately, they put people in Saskatchewan at risk. 

    Communities across Canada face intersecting challenges of poverty, homelessness, a dangerously unregulated drug supply, and health inequities. To meaningfully address these challenges and improve life for all people, governments must implement compassionate, evidence-based public policy that upholds principles of public health and human rights. 

    For nearly six years, the provision of sterile pipes and information on safer inhalation has been part of efforts to reduce the transmission of hepatitis C and HIV, promote safety for people using drugs in Saskatchewan, and connect people to health and social supports. This abrupt policy change not only undermines these efforts but also puts people at risk of harm, placing an undue burden on communities, Saskatchewan’s health system and those who work within it, and community organizations. 

    The shift to a “one-for-one” needle exchange is not only outdated but counterproductive, likely increasing rates of infection in Saskatchewan and exacerbating the challenges faced by people at risk of overdose. Given the province’s unfortunate distinction as a hot spot for HIV transmission in Canada, and the disproportionate impact this has on Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan, it is crucial to reconsider this policy. 

    The policy appears fiscally reckless, as the cost to manage new cases of HIV and hepatitis C is considerably high. Preventing new infections through sterile supplies and safer use information is a vastly more cost-effective approach. We urge the government to responsibly steward public funds by continuing to invest in health interventions proven to reduce transmission and alleviate the strain on health care systems. 

    The Saskatchewan government’s inability to cite any evidence in support of these policy changes raises serious questions about the decision-making process. A focus on a “recovery-oriented system of care” need not come at the expense of cost-effective, evidence-based strategies with proven benefits to public health. Evidence has consistently demonstrated how harm reduction supplies and information can connect people to health and social supports, including voluntary treatment. Limiting access to safety education and health services does not decrease substance use: it only makes people less safe. 

    The HIV Legal Network and Canadian Drug Policy Coalition urge the Government of Saskatchewan to reconsider these policy changes. To ensure the well-being of all residents, we invite you to engage in a constructive dialogue with people with lived and living experience, front-line and health workers, health and scientific experts and other affected communities. We would welcome an opportunity to discuss this issue with you and offer research and policy resources on effective measures to ensure the well-being of all people in Saskatchewan. 

    Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your response. 

    Sincerely, 

    DJ Larkin, Executive Director, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition 

    Janet Butler-McPhee and Sandra Ka Hon Chu, Co-Executive Directors, HIV Legal Network