British Columbians should not have to worry about exposure to the open use of hard drugs in hospitals. Unfortunately, hospitals have become the latest public space to become a hotspot for illicit drug use.
Last week, a disturbing Northern Health Authority memo was exposed, which directs nurses to allow the use of drugs and the possession of weapons within hospital rooms. Nurses are speaking out, sharing their experiences of being exposed to illicit drugs in hospitals throughout the province.
One nurse who just returned from maternity leave was exposed to illicit drugs so severely that she was advised to stop breastfeeding due to the risk to her newborn. Another nurse shared a story of walking into a bathroom to help a patient to be met with thick smoke later determined to be fentanyl.
It is completely unacceptable that this NDP government is not only allowing but endorsing the open use of illicit drugs in hospitals, thereby compromising the safety and well-being of healthcare workers and patients.
Nurses are being put in danger daily, facing exposure to dangerous illicit drugs as a result of this NDP government’s failed decriminalization experiment.
It’s clear that the NDP’s decriminalization experiment is flawed and broken. The BC Coroner Service reported that in 2023, British Columbia had the highest number of overdose deaths ever reported in a single year. Last year, there were a heartbreaking 2,511 people who died of drug overdoses, which averaged seven tragic deaths a day.
Recently, the state of Oregon recognized the disorder caused by its own decriminalization policy and re-criminalized the possession of hard drugs. Despite clear examples and evidence that this program is not working, David Eby continues to ignore the warning signs and charge down the same failed path while communities and families across the province suffer the consequences.
This is why a new approach to the overdose crisis is needed. BC United will end David Eby’s reckless decriminalization experiment. Our Better is Possible plan will instead prioritize free treatment and recovery to help those struggling with addiction rather than provide free drugs.
Our plan ensures affordable and accessible treatment and provides complex mental health support by eliminating user fees at publicly funded addiction treatment beds and providing direct government funding for private beds.
Importantly, we will focus on awareness and prevention, developing youth-oriented public education campaigns on addiction and recovery, and initiating workplace programs to assist employees in recognizing substance use disorders and better-supporting employees in recovery.
The NDP’s reckless decriminalization experiment is damaging communities as open drug use and street disorder are getting worse across the province. BC United is committed to restoring order in British Columbian communities and safety in our hospitals by ending this failed experiment.