CP NewsAlert: B.C. asks Health Canada to make drug use in public illegal again

By The Canadian Press on April 26, 2024.

The British Columbia government is asking Health Canada to "urgently change" the decriminalization policy to stop drug use in public. B.C. Premier David Eby listens during an announcement in a greenhouse in Delta, B.C., on Monday, March 18, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

VANCOUVER – The British Columbia government is asking Health Canada to “urgently change” the province’s decriminalization policy to stop drug use in public.

Premier David Eby says in a statement the change would make illicit drug use illegal in all public spaces, including inside hospitals, on transit and in parks.

The U-turn by the provincial government comes after repeated criticisms about the decriminalization polices from local politicians, health workers and police about open drug use in public spaces.

More coming.