I will be making the following notice of motion at the May 21st Council meeting. I'm hoping to receive the support of my fellow councillors in asking the province to immediately drop this failed and deadly pilot project in BC:
WHEREAS in January 2023 the province of British Columbia enacted a three-year drug decriminalization pilot project;
WHEREAS all measurements of the decriminalization pilot project are revealing it has a failed experiment, including 2023 being British Columbia's worst year ever for overdose deaths;
WHEREAS adequate level of services such as drug treatment, supportive housing, rehabilitation, medical doctors, and mental health services are not readily available for those with addictions, particularly in smaller communities;
AND WHEREAS there has been increased pressure on vital services with the increase in drug use, costing British Columbia communities millions of dollars in RCMP, bylaw, firefighters, and health care providers;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Mayor and Council write a letter to both British Columbia's Premier and the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions requesting that they immediately halt the experimental decriminalization pilot project in British Columbia, and instead focus on building programs and services for recovery and treatment in both small and large communities, for those suffering from addictions.
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