Assessing re-criminalization of drug possession through a public health lens

B.C. is in the midst of an ongoing public health emergency, declared in 2016 in response to significant levels of overdoses and drug poisonings. In response, BC implemented a decriminalization framework in 2023, removing criminal sanctions for possession of small amounts of certain unregulated drugs.  Less than 18 months later, B.C. amended the framework, effectively re-criminalizing public drug consumption and possession in public spaces across B.C.  A commentary published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health assesses this amendment through a public health lens. We speak with Kelsey Speed, one of the co-authors of the commentary.