A Maple Ridge city councillor wants the city to join a call for the province to end decriminalization of possession of hard drugs.
Councillor Ahmed Yousef said a consistently increasing death toll caused by the tainted drug supply shows allowing people to possess and publicly use up to 2.5 grams illicit drugs is not working.
He has drafted a motion he wants his fellow councillors to support. It reads:
“Whereas on almost every measure BC’s drug decriminalization experiment has failed and the negative impacts are being felt across the province; and
“Whereas it was critical that an adequate level of services such as drug treatment, rehabilitation, mental health and supportive housing should have been put in place prior to a decriminalization experiment being undertaken; and
“Whereas this experiment is not easing the suffering nor reducing the deaths of people with addictions; and
“Whereas the state of Oregon, which attempted a similar experiment, recently reversed course to reduce the impacts of a growing level of street disorder and illicit drug consumption in public spaces
“Be it resolved that the mayor write a letter to the premier and minister of mental health and addictions requesting they immediately halt the failed decriminalization experiment pilot project in B.C. and fund increased mental health and addictions supports in consultation with community, First Nations, health authorities, and social services providers.”
Yousef was one of the early critics of the policy, and now says the evidence backs him up.
On Jan. 31 of 2023, police stopped arresting or seizing the drugs of people using up to 2.5 grams of heroin, cocaine, crack, crystal meth, MDMA or fentanyl.
That was followed by the year was the worst ever for the recorded numbers of deaths, with 2,511. February marked the 20th consecutive month of at least 175 reported fatal overdoses reported in B.C.
It has now been eight years since B.C. declared the toxic drug crisis a health emergency, but since April of 2016 it has killed more than 14,200 people.
In May of last year, Yousef took a motion to council asking for a prohibition in parks and other areas were people gather, but it was defeated by a 6-1 vote. Some councillors criticized him for not consulting with his colleagues before bringing the motion.
READ ALSO: Fix public consumption issue while decriminalization continues: B.C. cops
Yousef said the recent viral video of men “smoking crack” at the table of a Maple Ridge doughnut shop, while elderly women sit at the next table, shows that the decriminalization “emboldens” drug users to consume anywhere, creating a public safety issue.
He said the open drug use has created the perception of an unsafe atmosphere in Maple Ridge’s downtown, to the detriment of local entrepreneurs. He pointed to Gold Rush Jewellers and Emerald Moon as recent examples of businesses forced to close due to ongoing issues with street people.
“They have an entrepreneurial spirit, but they’re stressed and their afraid for their safety,” he said.
READ ALSO: Downtown Maple Ridge store closing due to crime, drug use
He has been in contact with councillors in other cities, and said he expects similar motions to be debated across the region.
“This experiment is extremely failed,” said Yousef. “It’s getting out of hand, and this provincial government has not been listening.”
Premier David Eby said on Jan. 25 B.C. will not reverse its drug decriminalization.
“We’ll watch what Oregon is doing with interest, just like we watch what Alberta is doing with interest and Washington State and California and other jurisdictions that are struggling with this, “Eby said Thursday (Jan. 25).
“If they show significant progress, of course, we would look at similar approaches. I do, having witnessed it first-hand, struggle with the idea that police, criminal courts and jail are ways to bring people (who are struggling with addiction) into the system.”
Yousef will serve his council colleagues notice of motion on May 14, and expects the issue to be debated on May 28.
The News asked for comment from NDP MLAs Bob D’Eith (Maple Ridge-Mission) and Lisa Beare (Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows), but has received no response.
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