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I’m Riding On A Train Wreck – So Are YOU!

All aboard! Welcome to the express train hurtling towards a likely disaster, we call decriminalization policy in BC.

Buckle up, my friends, because we’re riding on a track that's looking like it leads straight to an epic screw-up. Yes, you, me, - all of us. We’re all passengers on this ill-fated locomotive. Unless? - There still might be a chance for us if we get our act together. It’s not too late, but only if we make changes now.

Let’s talk about the decriminalization crisis right here in our beautiful British Columbia. Decrim is based on researched evidence-based models. We know it works if it is implemented correctly. Is BC's decriminalization derailing? - Can policy missteps lead to toxic trouble for BC's Decrim? We'll take a deep dive - But first, a small side trip South of our border.

The Oregon Debacle: A Cautionary Tale

Picture this: Oregon, the land of majestic forests, quirky hipsters, and a well-intentioned experiment gone awry. Back in 2020, they decided to decriminalize drugs—yes, you heard me right. Now, first of all, if you’re one of those people from the War on Drugs era, you might be thinking, “Holy crap. That just doesn’t make sense!” Aren’t we just handing out free tickets to a carnival of chaos? Not quite – decriminalization is based on good solid evidenced-based research.

Let's get one thing straight: Decriminalization isn't just about preventing the merciless destruction of people's lives through imprisonment and criminal records. It serves a much greater purpose. The ultimate goal is to eliminate the fear of prosecution, encouraging individuals with health challenges stemming from drug addictions to willingly seek help through our health system. But here's the catch - it's a two-part process. First, we decriminalize drug possession for personal use. Then, we double down by implementing additional recovery and support systems, ensuring instant referrals for those who genuinely want to break free from the grip of substance abuse.

Sadly for Oregon, they missed that second part - the most important piece. Here we are in 2024 and Oregon is recriminalizing. Why?

Here’s the kicker: they knew that 90% of success was building the second piece or the safety nets for decriminalization. The funding for follow-up resources even went into their original plan – they just didn’t follow through. Nope, little of that funding for recovery and support programs happened. No safety harnesses, no emergency brakes. Just a wild ride with no exit strategy.

The result? Oregon gave people with substance disorders hope they could reach out for help without going to jail and then promptly smashed those hopes with no support. That has resulted in a spiralling descent into, despair, deeper addiction and shattered lives. The very tracks they laid down for freedom led straight to the abyss.

British Columbia Déjà Vu

Now, let’s hop back across the border to our beloved British Columbia. Ah, Canada—the land of maple syrup, hockey, and polite apologies. We watched Oregon and thought, we need that too! Let’s dust off our toques, and roll up our sleeves as we said, “Hold my double-double, eh?” Decriminalization must be the golden ticket to a solution to the mess we call the toxic drug crisis. But guess what? Looks like we’re on the same train Oregon took, and we’re chugging along at full speed, just like they did.

Why? Because we are making the same mistake. Oregon decriminalized first, patted themselves on the back, and then promptly forgot about the rest. Funding for support and recovery programs? Nah, let’s save that for another day. Meanwhile, the passengers—our family, friends and neighbours with substance disorders—are clinging to the handrails, praying for a lifeline. Didn’t happen in Oregon and it’s looking like the same for us unless we get our heads out of our asses damn soon.

The Metaphorical Bridge

Imagine this train hurtling across a rickety bridge. The wooden planks creak, the wind howls, and the river below churns with uncertainty. That bridge represents hope—the hope that someone, somewhere, will throw a safety net. But this bridge is as flimsy as hell, patched together with good intentions and wishful thinking. Any second now, it will be just like the bridge in Baltimore.

Picture this, my friend. You're sitting by the window in this speeding train, watching the world whiz by in a blur. Maybe you're savouring your coffee, mindlessly scrolling through your phone, blissfully unaware of the impending disaster. You might have noticed "those people" who seem to disturb the tranquillity of our little piece of paradise. Perhaps you've been urging someone, anyone, to do something about them and make them disappear. But here's the harsh truth: there's no "them" or "us," only "we."

It's puzzling how people watch videos of places like Vancouver's Downtown East Side or similar neighbourhoods in their own communities and treat them like some alien world, detached from our own making. But let me remind you, my friend, that those individuals are our sons and daughters, our family, friends, and neighbours. They're not untouchable outcasts but desperate souls longing for our help. Some may advocate for locking them away or pretending they don't exist, while others are just relieved that they're "over there."

Deep down, you know the truth. You can feel the tremors and hear the haunting whistle. You're riding on this train wreck too, whether you realize it or not. It's time to stop pointing fingers and start demanding action. We must call upon our provincial government and health authorities to take a health-focused and socially responsible approach to fix this train wreck. The time for change is now, and it begins with us coming together as a community to make a difference.

The End Result, Unless?

Here’s what is happening right now and what is going to get worse over the next two years when the Federal and Provincial Governments review the decrim trial in BC - unless we get our act together.

Our health crisis around the toxic drug disaster has been going on for eight years. People are looking at the haphazard policies of our provincial government and using the poor results to justify that harm reduction, decriminalization and other programs meant to keep people alive are a failure. Some people are demanding returning to that punitive world of the mid/late twenty century.

Well, folks, let me tell you – what did you expect? There is no consistency in our detox/recovery programs in BC. It takes weeks to get a referral. Only 1700 physicians in the province are certified to prescribe medications for people with addictions. There is only one ER in the Province (it’s a trial program at St Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver) that has a direct access recovery program for ER patient admittance. Social determinants that impact the use of drugs like homelessness are rampant.

Harm reduction and decriminalization are NOT the problem. The resourcing levels of the support programs are. In the coming months, people are going to point at decriminalization and harm reduction and say, “I told you it wouldn’t work!” Frankly, it’s already started.

I’m here to tell you that decriminalization and harm reduction were never meant to be the solution to the toxic drug crisis. Let’s be absolutely crystal clear here – if you think harm reduction and decriminalization were solutions to the toxic drug crisis, you are wrong, wrong, wrong! They are, however, the brakes to slow the runaway train down until we implement actual solutions. In other words, harm reduction, (sic) decriminalization is intended to save lives until we fix the tracks. Any failure of these two programs is a warning of what will happen next if we don’t implement the real solutions.

The Urgent Call

So, what are the solutions? We need decriminalization, that’s for sure! Decrim is the paved path with clear road signs leading people to the next steps in their healing journey. Those next steps are a robust network of support—timely access to rehabilitation centres, counselling services, and harm reduction programs, addressing social problems of poverty, homelessness and mental health support. We need to fix the tracks while the train is still moving. It’s not enough to say, “Hey, you don’t need to be afraid of going to jail anymore – you can now ask for help.” We must also say, “Hey, not only don’t you have to be afraid, but here is the help you need and it’s available right now.”

To the policymakers: Wake up! Fund those recovery programs. Strengthen the safety nets. Don’t let this train crash and burn.

To the passengers: Look out the window. See the signs. Be vigilant. Advocate for change. Because when the bridge collapses, we’ll all plunge into the abyss together.

Remember, my fellow travelers, this is a we thing. Let’s steer this train away from disaster. We need to stay the course on decrim and harm reduction. These proven evidence-based programs have to be also be supported with timely access to recovery. If we don’t, you should hold on tight—cause it’s only going to get bumpier from here.

This article is an editorial, reflecting the opinions of the author, Ron Merk. Ron is a person with family-lived experience. He advocates for people with concurrent disorders.

References:

Oregon Decriminalization:

Toxic Drug Crisis in Canada:

Importance of Support Programs:

 

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Comments

  1. Bill Nelles14 April 2024 at 16:40

    God I love the work you get done …… again a brilliant analysis of our current predicament.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous15 April 2024 at 14:32

    Amazing and exceptionally well written article that really explains this issue that truly is a “we” issue.

    ReplyDelete

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