Did you know that in Canada you can be provided legal amnesty while having a drug overdose?
The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, championed by Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam Liberal MP Ron McKinnon, is under renewed examination as it has failed to address the rise of deadly overdoses across Canada.
McKinnon introduced the Act as a private member’s bill in 2016, aiming to reduce overdose fatalities by encouraging individuals to seek emergency assistance without fear of possession charges.
“People who see it as a law and order issue might have problems with it, those who think it’s a health issue as I do, realize it’s about saving lives,” McKinnon stated during the bill’s introduction.
However, the bill is now facing new scrutiny after a Saskatchewan court overturned the conviction of Paul Eric Wilson, a repeat offender found with firearms and drugs after seeking help for an overdose.
The story goes back to September 2020 when, outside a rural Saskatchewan elementary school, Paul Wilson and three others parked their truck and called 911 as a woman they were with experienced a fentanyl overdose.
Upon arrival, police discovered crystal meth near Wilson and arrested him for possession.
A subsequent vehicle search uncovered modified firearms and drug paraphernalia, leading to multiple charges.
Convicted and sentenced to eight years, Wilson’s conviction was overturned in September 2023 by the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, citing the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act.
Although the Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to review the case, Wilson was acquitted of all charges.
Critics argue this court ruling exposes potential loopholes that allow repeat criminals to avoid prosecution on account of overdosing on drugs.
In particular, some police have expressed concern the law provides legal protection for breaches of bail and release conditions in the event of a drug overdose.
“This Act was intended to save lives, not provide legal cover for violent offenders,” said a senior RCMP officer who spoke on condition of anonymity. “We’re now seeing cases where repeat offenders are walking free on technicalities.”
Few observers will argue against the broader intentions of The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, which was to reduce deadly drug overdoses by encouraging individuals to call the police when one occurs.
The bill received rare bipartisan support in the House of Commons when first introduced on account of its good intentions.
However, since the passage of the Act in May 2017, drug overdoses and deaths have sharply increased, further bringing into question the efficacy of such laws.
In British Columbia alone, 2,511 people lost their lives to toxic drugs in 2023, marking the highest annual death toll since a public health emergency was declared in 2016.
As True North reported earlier this week, the Carney Liberals have yet to offer any substantive drug, crime or criminal justice reform policies despite being only weeks from a federal election on April 28.