BC Health Officer Defends Drug Decriminalization as Province Grapples With Record Overdose Deaths

B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry steps away from the podium after speaking during a news conference in Vancouver, on Jan. 30, 2023. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck

As B.C. grapples with record-breaking overdose deaths so far this year, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is defending the government’s stance on the decriminalization of illicit drugs.

Her remarks came at an opening session of the 2023 Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) convention on Sept. 18 as she addressed municipal leaders who are dealing with the impact of the drug crisis in their towns and cities.