The BC Conservative Caucus says the province’s rollback of take home access in the prescribed safer supply program confirms years of warnings about the policy.
As of December 30, the program has shifted back to witnessed consumption. Conservative critic for mental health and addictions Claire Rattée says families, frontline workers, and the Opposition repeatedly raised concerns that unsupervised distribution was leading to diversion and community harm.
Rattée says the change amounts to an admission that earlier decisions were wrong, questioning why the program was expanded and allowed to continue after concerns became clear. She adds that the government’s delayed response has eroded public trust and confidence in the addiction care system.
The safer supply take home model was expanded during the pandemic and maintained afterward, despite warnings about prescribed opioids being diverted through pharmacies and trafficked both within and outside the province.
The BC government says the move to witnessed consumption is intended to reduce diversion while continuing to support people at risk of overdose.
However, critics argue the program should be ended entirely, saying resources would be better directed toward treatment, recovery programs, and long term supports that help people move out of addiction.
Where exactly are they going to find all this long term support? There is a wait list for detox and treatment as it is, stopping will cost lives, witnessed consumption will hurt people who can’t get there for their meds. The entirety of the system and policies are completely flawed and need to be redone!