Dr. Bonnie Henry’s proposal for the government to distribute illicit street drugs to addicts is dead on arrival.
The province of British Columbia rejected the provincial health officer’s recent report endorsing the legal sale of drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl in government-operated and retail stores.
Soon after the release of Henry’s report, B.C.’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside quickly released a statement shutting it down.
“Dr. Henry is an important independent voice on public health issues in this province, and we respect her advice. However, this is a topic we do not agree on. The province will not go in the direction of compassion clubs and other non-medical models of distributing medications,” said Whiteside.
She added that the province is determined to save lives and help residents. However, B.C. will instead focus on expanding access to treatment and care for mental health and addictions across the province, while “cracking down” on toxic drug traffickers.
After Henry’s report was released, many critics on social media likened the advice to advocating for the government to enter the drug trafficking business.
Among the chief critics of Henry’s approach was the Conservative Party of British Columbia who demanded her immediate dismissal.
“The future of our province depends on the actions we take today to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all,” said John Rustad, Leader of the Conservative Party of B.C.
The party urged Premier David Eby to act swiftly in removing Henry from her position before it was too late.
“Dr. Bonnie Henry’s support for selling meth and other harmful drugs in government stores is not only shocking but also incredibly irresponsible,” said John Rustad, Leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia. “This approach is not a solution to our drug crisis; it is an endorsement of dangerous substances that have destroyed countless lives and families. Our communities deserve better.”
Henry sent her report “Alternatives to Unregulated Drugs: Another Step in Saving Lives” to B.C.’s Ministry of Health on July 9.
The acknowledgement list included 16 people and spanned two pages with abundant reference to First Nations territories.
The report included various sections that discussed “white supremacy,” “anti-Indigenous racism,” and “settler colonialism.”
Other MLAs spoke about Henry’s irresponsible decision, such as MLA Elenore Sturko who previously worked as a spokesperson for the RCMP.
“I find Dr. Henry’s stance deeply troubling. We should be focused on providing support and treatment for those struggling with addiction, not making it easier for them to access these deadly substances,” said Sturko.
“This government would effectively be using taxpayer dollars to subsidize drug trafficking and there’s no oversight to where the drugs go after they’re sold,” she added.
Previously, the province admitted that the “safer supply” program was not fully evidence-based and acknowledged its failure. Despite this Henry still urged the province to expand the program and recommended a rebrand.
According to a study published by the province in the British Medical Journal, the program’s only discernible benefit was that “safer supply” recipients were less likely to fatally overdose in the immediate seven days after receiving their government-prescribed opioids. Any longer timeline showed no benefits.
Government-supplied drugs began to flood the streets, as people would turn around and sell them on the black market.
Alberta saw a similar issue, with its “safe supply” drugs being sold on the streets. The province realized “safe supply” was a failure and changed course for a recovery-based approach.
B.C. admitted that safe- and safer-supply were failures and decided to dig its claws in further, expanding “prescribed alternatives to unregulated drugs,” which could just as well be called safer-safer-supply.
Rustad said that residents deserve leaders who prioritize their health and safety, instead of “radical and dangerous policies.”
“We call on Premier David Eby to act swiftly and decisively in removing Dr. Henry from her position,” said Rustad.