Premier David Eby is facing mounting questions about the future of British Columbia's drug decriminalization policy as the federal authorization for the three-year experiment approaches its expiration date at the end of January. Despite publicly admitting the policy's shortcomings, the premier has not detailed what will happen next.
A Policy Retreat and a Stalled Announcement
This week, Premier Eby continued his retreat from the decriminalization framework his government once championed. When pressed by reporters on Tuesday about the impending deadline, Eby stated, "We're working closely with the federal government on this. I look forward to having more to share about that soon." He was unequivocal, however, in declaring an end to one aspect of the policy: "We are not going back to the old policy of decriminalized public drug use in B.C. It didn't work, and we ended that."
This marks a significant reversal for Eby, who initially defended the policy as a life-saving measure aimed at reducing the stigma and criminal penalties associated with drug use. The experiment began on January 31, 2023, just two months after he became premier, under a Health Canada exemption. It allowed individuals to possess small amounts of drugs like fentanyl and heroin without facing arrest or prosecution.
Public Backlash and Incremental Rollbacks
The backlash from municipalities, police forces, and the public over open drug use was swift. In response, the B.C. government began a series of rollbacks. By September 2023, it moved to ban drug use in areas frequented by children, such as playgrounds and skate parks. A more comprehensive ban followed in 2024, prohibiting illicit drug use in all public spaces, effectively restricting it to private residences and treatment centres.
During the fall 2024 re-election campaign, Eby conceded there were "some problems" with the 18-month-old experiment, noting it had produced the opposite of the intended results. His admission became more profound in October 2024. In a meeting reported by the Western Standard, Eby confessed, "I was wrong on drug decriminalization and the effect that it would have... It wasn't the right policy." He criticized the framework for creating a "permissive structure" that normalized public drug use with unhappy consequences.
The Lingering Challenge of Reversal
Despite the government's efforts to "re-stigmatize" public consumption, reversing course has proven difficult. As noted by Independent MLA Elenore Sturko, the government's disavowal remains a half-measure. While public use is now banned, the province has not reinstated criminal penalties for the simple possession of small amounts of drugs, leaving the core of the decriminalization exemption intact for now.
With the federal exemption set to expire in mere weeks, the B.C. NDP government faces a critical decision. It must formally disavow a high-profile policy experiment it once loudly supported, all while crafting a new approach to a devastating public health crisis that continues to claim lives across the province.
