British Columbia's human rights commissioner has issued a statement opposing any return to stigmatizing illicit drug use, calling it racist and a violation of human rights. This statement comes as the province acknowledges that its decriminalization efforts may have been misguided. Kasari Govender, B.C.'s human rights commissioner, emphasized that the ongoing overdose crisis, which has claimed over 16,000 lives since 2016, stems from colonial approaches that prioritize individualism and wealth over community health and empathy. "Using punitive tactics by criminalizing people who use drugs and doubling down on prohibition policies have proven to be ineffective and harmful for decades," Govender stated in a new 22-page position document. The report argues that labeling the situation as an "overdose crisis" is discriminatory, suggesting that it implies drug use is inherently unsafe. Instead, Govender attributes the crisis to illicit drug manufacturers and dealers who introduce unknown toxic substances into the market. Recent data from the B.C. Coroners Service indicates that the province continues to experience an average of five overdose deaths daily. In response, the human rights commissioner advocates for policies that allow drug users to consume substances without stigma. This includes calls for increased decriminalization, more low-barrier shelters, and expanded access to a "safer supply" program, which distributes free recreational opioids to users. This statement coincides with the B.C. NDP government's acknowledgment that some of its harm reduction strategies may have exacerbated the problem. In February, the province revised its safer supply program after reports surfaced that some users were reselling the free opioids. The new guidelines require that these substances be consumed in the presence of a clinician, rather than being dispensed for home use. Premier David Eby recently declared that the province's experiment with decriminalizing hard drugs was "not the right policy." In November 2022, B.C. received federal approval to legalize possession of small amounts of illicit drugs, including heroin and fentanyl, as part of a strategy to reduce stigma. However, Eby noted in a recent speech that decriminalization had inadvertently created a "permission structure" for drug use in public spaces. Eby has also committed to increasing involuntary treatment options for severe addicts and intensifying efforts against criminal drug networks. For over 20 years, the B.C. government has maintained that addiction should be treated as a public health issue rather than a criminal justice matter. The human rights commissioner's position is significant as it largely excludes law enforcement's role in addressing drug-related issues. The report mentions police only in the context of public safety concerns, while dismissing abstinence-only treatment programs as ineffective. "There is no data to support the assertion that abstinence-only treatment options are effective in addressing dependence on substances or the root causes of the toxic drug crisis," the report states. Govender's document critiques the government's recent moves to limit harm reduction initiatives, asserting that there is no evidence linking these changes to increased overdose deaths or youth substance dependency.