Federal parties spar over drug consumption sites in B.C.

Federal parties have pitched different approaches to dealing with the toxic drug crisis in B.C. — particularly when it comes to overdose prevention and supervised consumption sites. 

While the Conservatives have pledged to severely restrict overdose prevention sites, and the Liberals say they're reviewing their effectiveness, the federal NDP and Greens have come out in support of harm reduction for drug users and services like these.

B.C.'s health minister defends the province's network of sites aimed at preventing overdoses, while one harm reduction advocate worries the life-saving services are becoming a political football.

In New Westminster on Sunday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre promised to close overdose prevention sites, which are regulated by the province and often run by non-profit groups. There are 39 such locations across B.C. 

"We will be shutting down drug dens," Poilievre said. "These drug consumption sites do not work."

Poilievre called them a "bizarre social experiment" that has exacerbated the drug crisis, particularly in the "epicentre" of B.C.

Under Poilievre's plan, the provincial overdose prevention sites would have to apply to become federally licensed supervised consumption sites. There are four supervised consumption sites across B.C., including Insite, the first in North America.

Those sites need a green light from Health Canada to operate and are staffed with trained professionals. 

Poilievre would also bring in stricter rules that must be met before any new supervised consumption sites are allowed to open.

The Conservatives have also pledged to prevent any new supervised consumption sites from being located within 500 metres of schools, daycares, playgrounds, and parks — but have said existing sites that aren't close to community gathering places could still operate, so long as they follow new oversight rules.

At a news conference on Monday, Liberal Leader Mark Carney touted the Liberals' border security strategy to disrupt organized crime as part of his plan to address the toxic drug crisis — but he was vague on supervised consumption sites themselves.

"The direct delivery of ... those sites is on a provincial level," he said. "We are undergoing a review of the effectiveness of these [sites]."

Carney's Liberals have said that they would invest $500 million for the provinces and territories to provide access to "evidence-based treatment, recognizing that successful treatment is not determined by long-term abstinence."

The federal NDP has pledged to support harm reduction measures, with the party's New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville incumbent Peter Julian saying that supervised consumption sites are one tool to help people recover from their addictions.