FILE PHOTO

(SHELBY THEVENOT / iNFOnews.ca)

Drug users may be allowed to carry their supply in public, but the City of Kamloops wants to prevent them from using it in public.

Kamloops city council approved a notice of motion today to ban the use of controlled substances in public spaces, much like alcohol and tobacco is banned in city parks already.

The motion was proposed by councillor Katie Neustaeter, who acknowledged there would be very little bylaw officers could do to actually enforce the ban.

"This is not going to get very far, but it is one first step," she said at the end of a lengthy debate.

The ban comes in the wake of drug decriminalization across the province, which is an effort to reduce criminalization of drug users in B.C. as thousands die each year due to toxic drugs.

Decriminalization came into effect earlier this year and some municipalities have responded with their own bylaws to curb public drug use.

Council approved the motion on Tuesday afternoon, April 11, but not without opposition.

Councillors Nancy Bepple and Dale Bass criticized the motion, with Bepple voicing concerns it will merely push drug users to potentially overdose where they won't be seen.

"What I fear is when something like this happens... all that will happen is there's more overdoses in public washrooms," she said. "They will find a place that's hidden and they will do it on private property."

She added that most users inhale their drugs rather than inject, while safe consumption sites don't actually allow for smoking.

Bass also criticized the motion as "unenforceable," likening it to vehicle idling bylaws.

Others, however, felt it's important to shield residents from drug use in public spaces, especially in parks.

"There's got to come a time when the rights of citizens that follow the laws of the land override the rights of the people that want to break those laws," Bill Sarai said. "We get touted for the four pillars (of harm reduction) and enforcement is one of them... If there's pushback, so be it. I'm elected by the people of Kamloops and they've (said) loud and clear they don't want to see this on their streets."

Bepple and Bass were the only two councillors that voted against the motion, which will include parks, city facilities and roads.

It's still not adopted, however, because it will need another approval by council once staff write a final draft of the bylaw. It will then go to Health Minister Adrian Dix for final approval because it affects public health policies.

It's not clear how long that will take.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2023