BC Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau (BC Green photo)

By Liam Verster

new approach needed

Increasing police powers not the answer to drug crisis: BC Greens

Apr 26, 2024 | 4:30 PM

The B.C. Green Party is suggesting the NDP’s partial walk-back on decriminalization will have negative consequences.

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In a release, the Greens said that while there are concerns about drug use in public spaces and a need to keep communities safe, increasing police powers would not solve the root problem of drug use.

“[Policing] measures are not only ineffective but could greatly exacerbate systemic issues and overburden our judicial system,” Sonia Furstenau, leader of the BC Greens, said.

“The B.C. Supreme Court has been clear that severely restricting public drug consumption would cause irreparable harm to people at risk of injury and death amidst a public health crisis, and it’s disappointing that the BC NDP has chosen to attempt to bypass these concerns from the judiciary.”

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Furstenau instead called for a “compassionate, evidence-based approach to this crisis,” such as by expanding safe consumption sites, increasing comprehensive treatment availability, and supporting people facing mental health and addiction challenges.

“The safer supply program is inadequate, there are not enough safe consumption sites throughout the province, and many do not accommodate the most common method of drug consumption, which is smoking,” the leader stated.

“Reintroducing criminal penalties for drug use in public places could lead to a significant increase in incarcerations, which would be costly – both financially and socially. Police discretion is especially likely to stigmatize Indigenous and racialized British Columbians.”

Furstenau noted the overdose crisis is also linked to the housing and affordability crises, and all these issues should be addressed using a comprehensive approach, adding “no jurisdiction in the world has arrested their way out of this problem, and we won’t either.”