Drug overdose deaths outpaced deaths from COVID-19 in Canada’s British Columbia in 2020 with a 74 percent increase from 2019.
Province's Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe suggested urgent changes on decades of criminalization, the increasingly toxic illicit drug market, and insufficient evidence-based treatment with recovery services.
British Columbia's Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Sheila Malcolmson also says decriminalization is the critical component of a comprehensive response to address the overdose crisis and an important step to reduce system barriers.