Opposition leader wants crack and opioids banned from B.C. beaches and parks

While 4/20 is the day many people take to public beaches to smoke pot — B.C. United is calling on the governing NDP to bring in a province-wide ban on using recently decriminalized drugs at beaches, parks, and playgrounds.

Municipalities are responsible for making rules about how public places are used. Yet the opposition thinks the province can bring in B.C.-wide legislation to ban opioid and crack use from the same places.

From January 31, 2023 to January 31, 2026 Health Canada is allowing adults 18 and older to avoid arrest and charges for possessing up to 2.5 grams combined of opioids, crack and powder cocaine, meth and ecstasy.

Vancouver's Police Chief Adam Palmer said he supports the idea of a ban because "it's just common sense."

Kevin Falcon, the leader of the party formerly known as the B.C. Liberals, said he's hearing from police officers who are concerned about people using hard drugs in places families hang out.

"The problem is, you've taken a tool away from the police that now don't have the ability to go to someone that's say at Spanish Banks, or a local park or playground that's doing whatever drug of choice they're doing, to be able to take that away now, because it's decriminalized," added Falcon.

The ministry of mental health and addictions rejects that. In a statement to CTV News it said, only possession is decriminalized and it's still illegal to be intoxicated.

B.C. United also said some municipal councils are encountering pushback from local health officials about putting in city-wide bans.

On Wednesday, Jennifer Whiteside, the mental health and addictions minister, said it was appropriate for councils to get information from local health officers.

"I understand that the Sicamous municipality bylaw has been passed. There has been engagement with the medical health officer, and that's what municipalities are doing. They are engaging appropriately with their medical health officers to determine what the local conditions are," Whiteside said.

There is a ban on using these drugs at schools and daycares but not other public places.

The ministry's statement went on to say, "... implementing blanket bylaws does not address the underlying causes related to addiction and may undermine the goals of decriminalization."

That's because it may encourage people to use alone, and increase the risk the user may die of an overdose due to the toxic drug supply.

B.C. declared a public health emergency in April of 2016 and continues to set records for illicit drug overdose deaths.