CTV News Reality Check: Misleading 'drug experiment' attack ad by BC Conservatives

The BC Conservative Party is on the defensive after posting an attack ad about "David Eby's deadly drug experiment," which includes misleading statements and content.

The video, which runs one minute and 14 seconds and was posted to the X platform on Monday, includes snippets from press conferences and news coverage highlighting issues around the toxic drug crisis, while accusing the premier of advocating the selling of hard drugs in retail stores.

It begins with a clip of provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry saying she “supports legalization and regulation of drugs,” followed by Eby saying “when Dr. Henry gives us advice, we follow that advice” while a Facebook post is visible on screen. The post reads, “we’re in favour of legalization and regulation of all currently illicit drugs.”

The post is clearly labelled as being from 2009, which is when Eby was executive director of the BC Civil Liberties Association, and was from a comment he made in response to a question about Marc Emery’s extradition to the United States for illegally selling cannabis seeds by mail.

In the present day, the premier has repeated at multiple public appearances and news conferences that while he has appreciated Henry’s advice on pandemic-related matters, he fundamentally disagrees with her on her legalization advocacy, insisting there’s “zero” chance of hard drugs being sold in B.C. stores.

“I've been clear with Dr. Henry, I've been clear with the public of B.C., we are not moving to a model where there are not medical professionals directly involved when there are people using harmful and toxic drugs,” he said on July 12, the day after Henry made the recommendation. “It's just non-negotiable.”

Cherry-picking police statements

Both the BC Conservatives and BC United have attacked the BC NDP administration for the diversion of prescription opioids from the small number of patients who’ve been allocated “safe supply,” which Vancouver Police Department Dep. Chief Fiona Wilson discussed at a parliamentary committee earlier this year.

However, Wilson’s testimony has often been misrepresented by those political parties and others. While she did say that half the hydromorphone pills seized by her officers are diverted from prescribed drug users, she emphasized she’s much more concerned about counterfeit pills, since “(people) aren’t dying from diverted prescription medication, they're dying from fentanyl, coke, meth.” https://bc.ctvnews.ca/mobile/b-c-premier-defends-drug-decriminalization-as-controversy-grows-feds-scrutinize-program-1.6853596

The Conservatives’ ad does not acknowledge that it was British Columbia’s police chiefs, including Vancouver police Chief Const. Adam Palmer, who spearheaded law enforcement advocacy for decriminalization of simple possession; he has often pointed out that supports for recovery and prevention are pivotal, and have been lacking in practice.

The ad also ignores the fact that Vancouver and Victoria police have repeatedly pointed out they did not enforce laws around possession of small quantities of illicit drugs for personal use before the decriminalization pilot project.

The party response and drug toxicity

CTV News asked the BC Conservative Party if they’ve had any complaints about the ad and if they have fact-checkers reviewing promotional materials for accuracy, given that there’s so much misleading material in the piece.

“Premier Eby has repeatedly said he would follow Dr. Bonnie Henry’s advice. Our ad highlights the advice she’s given over the years,” wrote a campaign spokesperson. “If you’re so concerned about misinformation, perhaps you should ask the NDP why they keep lying to British Columbians about our health-care plan.”

The most accurate section of the ad revolves around the misnomer of “safe supply” and the false sense of security it may give some drug users, especially young and naïve adults.

Experts continue to try to educate the public that while prescription substitutes are safer than a random pill or powder bought on the street, it’s impossible to know what’s a pharmaceutical-grade product versus a random mix of toxic chemicals that continues to kill British Columbians not just in the Downtown Eastside, but also in condos and houses and neighbourhoods in every corner of the province.