B.C. Human Rights Commissioner says stigmatizing drug use is a violation

By Canadian Press on November 13, 2025.

VANCOUVER — British Columbia’s Human Rights Commissioner is criticizing the province’s handling of the deadly opioid crisis, saying it takes a stigma-based approach that is “a violation” of human rights.

Kasari Govender says in a position statement issued by her office that the provincial government has failed to take “evidence-based action” and focuses instead on criminal justice and involuntary care.

Govender says the government is treating drug use as a moral failing instead of a health issue, and responding to the toxic drug crisis deserves the type of “utmost urgency” seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The BC Coroners Service says 158 people died from illicit drug overdoses in September, down almost 20 per cent from the same month last year, in a trend that has seen the death rate drop sharply since annual fatalities peaked at 2,589 in 2023.

Govender says unregulated drug toxicity remains the leading cause of death for British Columbians between the ages of 19 and 59, and the death rate was about 5.3 per day in September.

The statement says the province should favour safer supply and harm reduction, arguing they reduce deaths and serious harm although they “might not be politically popular”.

“Much like alcohol in the 1910s, the toxic drug crisis occurs in a prohibition model, making it clear that the crisis is not the result of safer supply policies, but rather the result of making drugs illegal,” Govender says in a statement.

“A compassionate approach requires embracing scientific evidence over political ideology and making every possible effort to save lives.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2025.

The Canadian Press