The province has made an"urgent" request to Health Canada to make amendments to B.C.'s exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to give police the power to step in when they see illicit drug use in public spaces, including inside hospitals, on transit and in parks.
"Now, clearly, with the benefit of hindsight, police needed those authorities. And I think the goals of minimizing stigma, of encouraging and providing that opportunity for people to come forward with help, were important and critical goals that still inform our policy today," he said. The U-turn by the provincial government comes after repeated criticism from politicians, health workers and police about the policies, including open drug use in public spaces.
"I have talked to the prime minister about this," he said."He assures me that the federal government will provide full support to ensure that police have the tools that they need." Eby said criminalizing drug use costs lives and taxpayer money while not making the public safer, but"police do need the tools to address extraordinary circumstances where people are compromising public safety through their drug use."
"We've heard loud and clear from the front-line police officers who continue to see the unintended ramifications that unchecked public drug use has on the safety and well-being of neighbourhoods," she said.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: globeandmail - 🏆 5. / 92 Read more »
Source: BurnabyNOW_News - 🏆 14. / 77 Read more »
Source: SaltWire Network - 🏆 45. / 63 Read more »
Source: SaltWire Network - 🏆 45. / 63 Read more »
Source: SaltWire Network - 🏆 45. / 63 Read more »
Source: globeandmail - 🏆 5. / 92 Read more »