Sheila Malcolmson, minister of mental health and addictions, spoke with CIVL regarding BC's latest effort to decriminalize drugs.

"We know that substance use is a public health matter and not a criminal justice one," Malcolmson says. "We know that criminalization has led people to hide their drug use which causes them to use drugs alone."

"The drug supply has become so much more toxic because of the pandemic," she adds. "Decimalization will break down the barriers saving health care services that we have been building up."

BC's latest action to decimalize drugs was announced on May 31 and will take affect on Jan. 31, 2023.

Listen to the CIVL interview with Malcolmson below: