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B.C. will not be continuing its drug decriminalization project, Health Minister Josie Osborne announced in Victoria Wednesday.
The three-year pilot project, which allowed people to be in possession of small amounts of illicit drugs, began on Jan. 31, 2023, and will expire at the end of this month.
The pilot project was in response to B.C.’s toxic drug crisis, which has claimed thousands of lives since a public health emergency was declared in 2016. Politicians and advocates have argued that decriminalizing drug use removes the associated stigma, treats the crisis as a health issue rather than a criminal one, and makes it more likely for people to seek help.
But, Osborne said the pilot project “hasn’t delivered the results that we hoped for.”
“At the end of the three-year pilot, it is difficult, if not even possible, to attribute certain changes [in the number of people accessing care] directly to decriminalization,” the minister said.
The project was part of a pilot by the federal government, which granted B.C. an exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) on May 31, 2022. Under the exemption, people aged 18 and over have been allowed to possess up to 2.5 grams of cocaine (crack and powder), methamphetamine, MDMA and opioids (including heroin, fentanyl and morphine).
While the decriminalization project is ending, Osborne announced on Wednesday the expansion of Access Central, a phone line service that provides “a single point of entry to connect people to certified health providers, and comprehensive, people-centred care.”
Access Central was first launched in Greater Vancouver in 2023. Osborne said it is now available in the Fraser Health, Interior Health and Island Health regions, and will be available in the Northern Health region “in the future.” Osborne did not reveal a specific date for that expansion.
Osborne said the province “remains absolutely committed to exploring every option, to using evidence-informed tools that can save lives and help connect people to care.”
Since 2017, Osborne said the province has opened more than 760 new beds that support people with addictions.
