Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe used her last public appearance to call for sa国际传媒渃ourageoussa国际传媒� changes in B.C.sa国际传媒檚 response to the unregulated drug crisis, which claimed 2,511 people, a record-breaking number over the last decade of data.
Lisa Lapointe shared that figure Wednesday (Jan. 24) in accusing officials of ignoring evidence and falling back on the familiar but false and expensive solution of treating users of drugs as criminals and stigmatizing them.
sa国际传媒淲e can take measures to save lives, or we can continue to count the dead,sa国际传媒� Lapointe said in lamenting the lack of a broader plan and data around which to base such a plan. sa国际传媒淲e cansa国际传媒檛 become complacent with drug toxicity as the leading cause of death for a significant portion of our population.sa国际传媒�
Lapointe paired her criticism and warning against complacency with familiar calls for the expansion of recovery and treatment services and more controversially, expanding access to safe supply beyond the existing limited model, an idea, which government has already rejected.
B.C. currently offers a limited amount of safe supply in limited locations. But Lapointe said the program in its current shape does not go far enough in noting that current treatment services are simply unable to address the scale of the emergency. Lapointe said it is coinciding with one million British Columbians without a family doctor and a housing crisis in alluding to government information bulletin that shows toxic drug linked to a 28-per-cent increase in homelessness deaths in 2022.
It is this backdrop that requires a new approach, she said.
sa国际传媒淚 think there is some fear among politicians to be seen as doing something radical,sa国际传媒� she said, when asked why this idea of expanding safe supply continues to face resistance. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 not radical. We have always treated medical health issues with a medical response or a common sense approach,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒�(Our) politicians need to be courageous. They need to push back against the narrative that we are providing drugs.sa国际传媒�
Lapointesa国际传媒檚 criticism of government comes not only on her last public appearance, but also just days before the one-year-anniversary of B.C.sa国际传媒檚 limited decriminalization trial. The trial sa国际传媒� which exempts from criminal penalties possession of up to 2.5 grams of certain illegal drugs for personal until Jan. 30, 2026 sa国际传媒� started Jan. 31, 2023.
The trial has faced criticism from several corners, including municipalities, who have blamed it for declining public safety. Lapointe pushed back against this claim. sa国际传媒�(There) is no evidence to suggest that the general public is at risk from people, from public drug use,sa国际传媒� she said.
She also disagreed with claims that decriminalization has contributed to the rising death numbers. sa国际传媒淚llicit fentanyl is responsible for these deaths,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淭he goal of decriminalization didnsa国际传媒檛 mean that more drugs were available.sa国际传媒�
But Lapointe criticized the government for launching decriminalization without the supports in the place. sa国际传媒淭he treatment and recovery services are not there,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淭here are no standards for treatment and recovery. This is not a B.C. issue. This is common across the country.sa国际传媒�
Reaction to the new numbers has been swift.
Mental Health Minister Jennifer Whiteside acknowledged them Monday afternoon. sa国际传媒淓ach of these lives was precious and important, each with their own story, their own dreams and people who love them,sa国际传媒� Whiteside said. sa国际传媒淭hey were part of our community and their loss is felt deeply by us all.sa国际传媒�
She reiterated her governmentsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒渦nwaveringsa国际传媒� commitment to ending this crisis. sa国际传媒淥ur government is taking action to strengthen mental-health and addiction services across the spectrum of needs from early intervention and prevention, to housing, to treatment and recovery,sa国际传媒� Whiteside said. sa国际传媒淥ur goal is to ensure that accessible, effective care is there for everyone, right when they need it.sa国际传媒�
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Whiteside also said that her governmentsa国际传媒檚 actions have made sa国际传媒渁 meaningful differencesa国际传媒� in saving lives. When asked about Lapointesa国际传媒檚 criticism, Whiteside said her government will continue to support efforts to go after sa国际传媒減redatorysa国际传媒� drug dealers supplying increasingly volatile, harmful drugs.
Government continues to do everything in its power to keep people alive by separating users from toxic drugs and connecting them to the services they need, she said, pointing to efforts to expand various types of treatment services and other measures such expanding supervised consumption sites.
Whiteside also touted a recent study by the British Medical Journal that can be read as an endorsement of B.C.sa国际传媒檚 safe supply program. She said government will review those findings sa国际传媒渋n order to scale up the model that we have,sa国际传媒� adding sa国际传媒渋t is critical that we keep people connected to health care.sa国际传媒�
BC United Leader Kevin Falcon said Lapointesa国际传媒檚 report represents a sa国际传媒渄amning indictment of the NDP governmentsa国际传媒檚 disastrous decriminalization policy,sa国际传媒� which sa国际传媒渉as recklessly endangered lives.sa国际传媒�
Elenore Sturko, BC Unitedsa国际传媒檚 shadow minister for mental health, addiction and recovery, said when Premier David Eby assumed office, he pledged to be judged on results.sa国际传媒淲ell, the results are in, and they are nothing short of disastrous,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淚t has never been a deadlier time to be a vulnerable person using drugs in B.C. than right now, under the NDPsa国际传媒檚 watch.sa国际传媒�
Sturko, who has been critical of efforts to expand safe supply, also used the occasion to tout her partysa国际传媒檚 treatment and recovery based plan in calling for a change in direction.
Whiteside criticized Falconsa国际传媒檚 comments about decriminalization as harmful but also reiterated her governmentsa国际传媒檚 commitment to public safety following the passage of a law restricting public consumption of drugs. While government does not want arrest people using drugs, the public also has right to be safe, she said.
A court ruling recently stopped that law from coming into effect with the law remaining subject of a Charter challenge.
wolfgang.depner@blackpress.ca
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