Recently, the controversy of the government's safe drug supply has gained a lot of attention.
While the intention of the safe drug supply is meant to reduce the numbers of overdoses, it has only made the situation worse. Since bringing the safe drug supply to BC, overdose deaths in the province have gone up 46 per cent since 2020.
As a young person who is concerned about people's safety and well-being, I believe that the safe supply is doing more harm than good. Rather than perpetuating drug use, the government should be putting money toward treatment facilities that could be helping addicts end this long and draining cycle.
Free drug supply may start to normalize drug use rather than supporting addicts’ needs. The safe drugs that the government is providing is only giving addicts an advantage of selling those drugs on the streets and then continuing to use that money on cheap street drugs that could be laced with fentanyl.
Are safe drugs really the right approach to preventing overdoses? Well, the simple answer is no.
Emma Young is a grade 12 student at Brooks Secondary School in Powell River.
