Pushback on Interior Health suggestion to delay ‘safe spaces’ bylaws – Okanagan | 24CA News
Some communities in B.C.’s Southern Interior are mulling bylaws that might counteract a part of the province’s new drug decriminalization plan.
Announced earlier this yr, the three-year pilot mission permits individuals to hold as much as 2.5 grams of avenue medication for private use and never be arrested or charged.
However, some metropolis councils are saying there must be exemptions the place illicit medication can be utilized. For instance, Kelowna’s mayor, Tom Dyas, is proposing a bylaw that lists playgrounds and areas round parks as no-go situations for drug customers.
In flip, the Interior Health Authority says these communities ought to await six months earlier than implementing any new bylaws, saying they should see how this plan works out within the quick time period.
“Interior Health medical health officers (MHOs) have engaged with several municipalities on the topic of decriminalization,” Interior Health stated in an electronic mail.
“For example, an MHO made a formal presentation to the District of Sicamous, and other MHOs are having discussions with local communities like Lake Country, Penticton, Kelowna, and Merritt.
“The RCMP in the Interior Health region and the Nelson City Police Department have also been engaged in discussions.”
Interior Health added that “we are open to talking to any municipalities who are interested in more information on decriminalization as part of our commitment to ongoing discussions.”
In its letter to native municipalities on April 14, IHA stated whereas it doesn’t promote substance use in public areas, “punitive approaches could be perpetuating the harms we are attempting to scale back with this exemption. These harms additionally embody stigma and disgrace that power individuals to hide their substance use and use alone, growing their threat of dying from substance poisoning.
Not all are on board, although, with Interior Health’s options.
In Kamloops, the place a bylaw is being thought of, metropolis councillor Bill Sarai advised the media this week that IHA has “never been at the table, they’ve never brought solutions. Everything they promote is enabling usage of drugs and that’s got to stop.”
In the South Okanagan, the Penticton and Wine Country Chamber of Commerce issued a press launch that went in opposition to Interior Health’s suggestion.
“While we appreciate the reasons behind Interior Health’s request to collect data on public narcotic consumption, decriminalization by itself is not the answer,” stated chamber president Nicole Clark.
“Everyone refers to the Portugal model and how decriminalization is necessary, but what always seems to be left out is everything else that makes that model so effective.”
Clark says Portugal has wraparound providers, none of which can be found in Penticton.
Further, chamber government Michael Magnusson stated “the contents of the proposed bylaw put forward to mayor and council is not punitive, but rather helps ensure that public areas, especially those visited by families, seniors, tourists, and areas around storefronts are kept as safe and accessible as possible while those with drug dependencies are still able to utilize designated consumption sites.”
Further, the press launch stated, “one could argue that Penticton, along with the rest of the province, has waited long enough already, and because things continue to deteriorate for both those suffering from drug dependency as well as communities at large, local governments must take action to protect their residents and economies until such time as the province and its various health authorities implement meaningful measures to deal with this epidemic.”
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