Why is BC decriminalizing drugs? And will it help? | The Big Story Podcast

The overdose crisis is a tragedy, and in the past couple of years the number of deaths has been staggering. Harm-reduction advocates are looking for any way possible to save lives, and decriminalization is a strategy that has been used elsewhere to great effect.

So starting next January, British Columbia will try it with some drugs, at low amounts. Is this a huge step towards progressive drug policy, or too-little-too-late? Could it be both?

GUEST: Manisha Krishnan, senior editor, Vice News

[georgehenry]

Who will they blame next? It’s never a junkies fault, nooo….

[chrisc]

So there can be more drug users and overdoses. Also an increase in crime so criminals can buy said drugs they could legally carry and use

[victoriagriffiths]

Now they are getting free drugs while pensioners live below poverty. Shame on the system

[toolegitquit]

It will definitely help…….help more junkies stream into BC that is. Next they’ll be decriminalizing petty theft under $800 like Sanfransicko has……take a wild guess how that’s going for them🙄🙄🙄

[GREEEZY]

it is sad when we give free drugs but the people that need medical drugs to live and have to pay for them what is wrong with this country

[angelameawasige]

No thought on the delivery and trafficking of these drugs… let’s decriminalize human trafficking next… same thing…

[willybois]

Cannot travel freely but drug ok, really.

[mike]

Yes, we need to increase the taxes on working families to pay for the poor life choices of others. Because we live in a society or something.

[jeffsulyma]

Stop sending paramedics to revive these junkies.

[rikerdavis]

I thought the drugs were the problem. Not how someone feels

[davewoode]

if they are going to do this it should be done federally not provincially. lNow every drug addict in canada willl move to bc

[geoffjeffersob]

You realize they want fent in the dose right?

[donnacabot]

Just keeping people addicted a the govt gets a cut of the money like liquor and cigs. Another sad thing, addicts will still have to go to their dealers to buy it.

[CanadianCaymanRS]

Why? Because people in power believe increased access and loop holes for dealers will reduce deaths and addiction. Will it help? It will only hurt...

[ayneSFilms]

Ok. So can we now make the system where people can decide where their taxes go? I don’t really want to pay for someone’s poor decisions, I make plenty of my own and don’t see anyone paying for them. If I could choose whether my taxes go towards safe consumption sites or roads and education I’d have no issues at all.

[AlexS-wbzi]

The majority is young white men. Government says they are not important.

[coreycrossman]

i'm for decriminalizing drugs so long as anyone who breaks other laws well on drugs is punished like they were completely at fault and we bring back the death penalty

[pillitterin]

i am guessing Manisha Krishnan is not a mom and doesn't plan on having kids, since if she so her 15 little girl getting high and failing out of school she wouldn't be so for drugs

[Meditation]

So I assume that the 3 year exemption means this is only temporary....like an experiment to see how this works out. So it's a test.

[yvonjasser]

Liquor is available at the local store and people die from alcohol abuse and related diseases…