Skeena MLA Claire Rattée is calling on the provincial government to clearly end drug decriminalization and openly acknowledge what she describes as the failure of British Columbia’s drug policy experiment.
In a recent Substack essay, the Conservative Party MLA points to Premier David Eby’s admission that decriminalization “didn’t work” and produced unintended consequences. Rattée argues the province is retreating from the policy without formally ending it, leaving communities with uncertainty and eroding public trust.
Rattée says decriminalization was implemented without sufficient treatment capacity, recovery supports, or housing stability, creating conditions that increased public drug use while reducing opportunities for intervention. She also raises concerns about the safe supply program, noting government data showing overdose deaths declined after participation dropped sharply when witnessed consumption requirements were introduced in early 2025.
She argues those numbers challenge claims that safe supply was functioning primarily as a life-saving medical intervention, and instead point to problems with diversion and dependency.
Rattée, who has spoken publicly about her lived experience with addiction, homelessness, and recovery, says lasting change requires accountability, structure, and access to treatment. She notes that while hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in harm reduction, publicly funded treatment beds and aftercare supports remain limited across the province.
The Skeena MLA is urging the government to clearly end decriminalization, acknowledge mistakes, and redirect resources toward recovery-focused services rather than quiet policy reversals.
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