CHALLENGES TO NEW restrictions on public consumption of illicit drugs show just how far things have gotten out of whack in our society. Increasingly, it seems, those who indulge in antisocial behaviour receive favoured status. Bill 34, which came into effect as the Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act last week, is the Eby government’s answer to complaints from multiple municipal councils about the unintended consequences of decriminalizing possession of small amounts of illicit drugs. In effect, it’s an effort by the government to fix a problem it created. The three-year decriminalization pilot went into effect early in the year and is supposed to destigmatize hard drug use and encourage addicts to get help ... CLICK HERE for the full commentary Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and former newspaper editor. He publishes the Armchair Mayor opinion website . Published with permission of author
A discussion on political, economic and social issues in British Columbia, and Canada