15 min listen
A year of drug decriminalization in B.C.
FromThe Decibel
ratings:
Length:
21 minutes
Released:
Feb 8, 2024
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
It’s been a year since B.C. got permission to decriminalize possessing small amounts of some street drugs. At the time, B.C.’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions said this would “break down the stigma that stops people from accessing life-saving support and services.”But since then, B.C. recorded its highest-ever number of deaths from illicit drugs in 2023. And in response to public outcry, the provincial government has sought to limit drug use in more public areas like beaches and playgrounds.Andrea Woo is a staff reporter at The Globe’s Vancouver bureau, and she’s won a National Newspaper Award for her coverage of the toxic drug crisis. She’ll tell us what we know about how decriminalization works in B.C., and if anyone thinks it’s working out.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Released:
Feb 8, 2024
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Why protesting truck drivers are heading for Ottawa: Truckers are now subject to the same rules as other travellers at the border, which means they can be refused entry or required to quarantine if they are unvaccinated. Even though, according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance, there’s no reason to think truckers are less vaccinated than average, the new vaccination mandate has become the subject of vigorous political debate. It even spurred a protest in the form of a group of truckers and their supporters headed to Ottawa, calling themselves “the Freedom Convoy.” But as parliamentary reporter Kristy Kirkup explains, what’s driving the delay and shortages of some products in stores across the country is more complex than any one policy. by The Decibel