B.C. moves to ban illicit drugs at playgrounds, pools, skate parks

The British Columbia government says it has received approval from Health Canada to restrict the possession of illicit drugs at some public facilities where families and children congregate.

In a statement Thursday, the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions says that effective Monday, Sept. 18, the possession of illicit drugs within 15 metres of any play structure, spray or wading pool, or skate park will be “prohibited.”

“B.C. had made a request to Health Canada for an amendment to the decriminalization policy to add these spaces to existing exclusions on possession, including on the premises of K-12 schools and licensed child care facilities. The federal minister of mental health and addictions and associate minister of health has approved B.C.’s request,” the ministry said in its statement.

The move comes as the federal government approved the province’s exemption request under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act so people 18 and older are not subject to criminal penalties if found in possession of up to 2.5 grams of certain illegal drugs for personal use from Jan. 31, 2023, to Jan. 30, 2026.

Minister Jennifer Whiteside says along will the move to restrict areas of consumption, the government is “committed” to breaking down barriers and connecting people to the supports they need.

“We requested this amendment from Health Canada to ensure that families feel safe in their community while continuing to use every tool available to fight the toxic-drug crisis and save lives,” she said.

The move means that people found to be in possession of illicit drugs near the specified “child-focused spaces,” may be arrested or apprehended under the Controlled Drugs and Subtances Act.

The ministry notes that “intoxication remains illegal in all public places.”

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The province says it has also completed consultations with “key stakeholders” regarding public consumption of illicit drugs, and says it is planning to introduce provincial legislation to “further regulate public drug use this fall.”

“Decriminalization is just one tool in the Province’s toolbox in the fight against the toxic drug crisis.

“The B.C. government is working to build an integrated system of mental-health and addictions care that works for everyone. This includes adding hundreds of new treatment beds, expanding services for youth, and increasing access to programs that reduce harm and help keep people safe, such as drug-checking measures,” the ministry said.

In a news conference Thursday, Federal Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre took a moment to suggest Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the federal NDP “are so radical and extreme that they allowed crack and heroin in the first place to be legal and present in our playgrounds and around our schools.”

“Trudeau and [Jagmeet] Singh have authorized the provincial government to allow crack, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl around children’s playgrounds,” he claimed.

“What we’ve seen after eight years of Trudeau is a 300 per cent increase in drug overdose deaths in B.C. and now he’s taking the model that gave us the Downtown Eastside and he’s taking it national. He takes the hell that Vancouverites have witnessed in the Downtown Eastside and spreads it everywhere.”

Meanwhile, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim took to social media to thank the province, Health Canada, and the BC Association of Chiefs of Police for their work to increase the “exception spaces” under the decriminalization pilot in B.C.

“Vancouver’s public areas should be safe for families, children, and Vancouverites alike. As such, the City of Vancouver requested that the Province engage with Health Canada to prohibit the possession and consumption of illegal drugs in kid-friendly areas. Today, we are pleased our call was answered,” Sim said.

“It is vital that Vancouverites know that they are safe in the spaces they enjoy, and this announcement is just a necessary first step to keep our cities, neighbourhoods, and children safe. More work will need to be done and I look forward to continuing those collaborative discussions.”

Former police officer and opposition MLA says policy change is a ‘failure’

BC United MLA and former police officer Eleanor Sturko says the change in decriminalization “restores” police discretion, and allows officers to decide the best course of action.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean now the police are going to rush into a park, arrest someone, take their drugs, and put them in jail. No, but it restores their discretion, which they had before the decriminalization pilot and that  restoration of that discretion is what our party wants to see returned to the entire province,” she told CityNews.

Sturko is questioning the effectiveness of the decriminalization pilot, suggesting that she’s “only seen evidence that it’s not helping.”

“People continue to stay stuck in a very serious and often critical illness due to their addictions, [and] families don’t feel safe,” she said. “The efforts that we’re putting in and the energy and, you know, all the resources being put into this pilot should rightfully be put into services, to support people to get them the mental health care, the housing, and basically to help them with their social determinants of health.”

However, Sturko also describes Thursday’s announcement as a “knee-jerk” reaction.

“Where are the real programs that would help people? That’s what’s missing.

“They might have been even negotiating this with the feds, in terms of expanding where people could or couldn’t use drugs in B.C., but they never married it up with the actual supports people need. It’s a failure, and they haven’t met any targets in terms of providing the services that will actually help in this crisis.”