{"id":19697,"date":"2024-01-31T09:52:28","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T17:52:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drugpolicy.ca\/?p=19697"},"modified":"2024-01-31T09:52:31","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T17:52:31","slug":"for-immediate-release-on-the-anniversary-of-decriminalization-coalition-releases-vision-for-bc-drug-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drugpolicy.ca\/fr\/for-immediate-release-on-the-anniversary-of-decriminalization-coalition-releases-vision-for-bc-drug-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: On the Anniversary of Decriminalization, Coalition Releases Vision for BC Drug Policy\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

British Columbia, Canada | January 31, 2024  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Released on the one-year anniversary of the launch of British Columbia\u2019s decriminalization pilot, To End a Crisis: Vision for BC Drug Policy<\/em><\/a> outlines a roadmap for transforming the province’s drug policies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has been nearly eight years since the province first declared a public health emergency<\/a> 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<\/a>. 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.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 <\/a>threatened to undermine its potential impacts. The Vision for BC Drug Policy<\/em> 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.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the BCCLA\u2019s 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,\u201d says Safiyya Ahmad of the BC Civil Liberties Association. \u201cIt is our hope that the Vision <\/em>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.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs 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,\u201d says Stephen von Sychowski of Vancouver District Labour Council. \u201cWorking people have been hit hard, and we know we need a new approach. That\u2019s why it is important for us to take a stand on this.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur Coalition, comprised of over 80 organizations and community mobilizations, endorses the Vision<\/em> 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\u2014we’re talking about saving lives, humanizing people, and building a future where everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can thrive.”  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The BC Vision for Drug Policy outlines four key areas for reform: <\/p>\n\n\n\n