When the federal government allowed British Columbia to walk back its experiment with drug decriminalization, the move wasn91裸聊视频檛 surprising to Brittany Maple, executive director of the Matsqui-Abbotsford Impact Society.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 disheartening,91裸聊视频� Maple said. 91裸聊视频淲e are effectively criminalizing people for existing in public spaces when they have nowhere else safe to exist.91裸聊视频�

Now, Maple91裸聊视频檚 society has teamed up with a coalition of drug user advocacy groups to take the federal government to court, claiming the decision to recriminalize public drug possession in B.C. puts users at increased risk of death.

The group of 13 non-profits, which includes the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users and the Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction Society, alleges in an application filed in Federal Court that the government recriminalized public drug possession in B.C. 91裸聊视频渨ith minimal justification or evidence.91裸聊视频�

In an interview Wednesday, Maple said the toxic drug crisis coupled with the province91裸聊视频檚 housing crisis leaves people who use drugs vulnerable to arrest or death.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e spent many, many years telling people 91裸聊视频榙o not use alone,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e pulling people out of the shadows to try and keep people safe in an unprecedented crisis of toxic drug poisoning (and) death and this serves to recriminalize those people and push them further into the shadows and it will increase the death toll.91裸聊视频�

The groups claim in court that decriminalization was part of B.C.91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渁ction plan91裸聊视频� on the toxic drug crisis that required an exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

The provincial government later sought an 91裸聊视频渆xemption amendment91裸聊视频� to again prohibit public drug possession, which was granted by the federal minister of mental health and addictions in early May.

The court application says the decision was made in 91裸聊视频渂ad faith, for reasons of political expedience,91裸聊视频� and failed to consider the Charter-protected rights of drug users.

91裸聊视频淲e know that consultation with affected communities is a very important step in making these amendments and these exemptions and to our knowledge that didn91裸聊视频檛 happen,91裸聊视频� Maple said. 91裸聊视频淭he point of a judicial review is to seek those answers, and if the appropriate process wasn91裸聊视频檛 followed we are seeking for the exemption amendment to be quashed.91裸聊视频�

The non-profit groups claim the minister91裸聊视频檚 decision was based on vague 91裸聊视频減ublic safety concerns,91裸聊视频� and the effect was to recriminalize the possession of certain illegal drugs in all places other than a private residence.

Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Ya91裸聊视频檃ra Saks office said in a statement that the province asked for the amendments to its drug decriminalization pilot project.

91裸聊视频淎fter careful review and consideration, Minister Saks granted B.C.91裸聊视频檚 request to reduce the scope of public places where possession of controlled substances is permitted,91裸聊视频� the statement said.

91裸聊视频淓veryone deserves to feel safe in their communities. Law enforcement also needed to have additional tools to address issues of public safety while continuing to take a compassionate and public health approach to addressing substance use harms.91裸聊视频� the statement said.

Exemptions continue to apply in private residences, health care clinics, places where people are sheltering and overdose prevention and drug checking sites, Saks statement said.

The federal government has not responded to the application in Federal Court, which was filed in Vancouver earlier this month.

In filing the judicial review, the groups want the court to quash the minister91裸聊视频檚 decision rather than order it sent back for reconsideration, claiming 91裸聊视频渘o useful purpose would be served91裸聊视频� by sending it back because the minister has a 91裸聊视频渃losed mind91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淲e know that no one strategy is going to solve the toxic drug poisoning crisis,91裸聊视频� Maple said. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e advocating for a comprehensive system of care, a comprehensive set of strategies, and decriminalization is one piece of that.91裸聊视频�

The groups are also asking the court to hear the application on an 91裸聊视频渆xpedited basis.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淭he underlying circumstances are urgent,91裸聊视频� the application says. 91裸聊视频淪even British Columbians are dying each day from the toxic, unregulated drug supply.91裸聊视频�

READ ALSO:

READ ALSO: