Nanaimo Council became the latest to take a look at regulating the use of controlled substances in public spaces.
Councilor Ian Thorpe introduced a motion directing staff to compile a report on options for regulating drug use in public spaces saying it’s an important issue to residents.
“We have had constant concerns and complaints from our citizens about open drug use, I think the public expects us to be trying to do something and look for some solutions.” Says Thorpe.
Thorpe pointed to Kamloops which recently passed a nuisance by-law as a possible model for Nanaimo.
The debate that followed centered around the wording of the motion. On one side councilors thought that the wording too closely implied regulation of substance use, which they thought went against the goals of decriminalization. While others said the motion only served the purpose of getting a staff report on the municipality’s options.
Mayor Lenard Krog says that while the report may come back with no options for solving this issue, he hopes that this will be the first “stone” thrown at the province that gets their attention.
In the end, the council moved to pass the motion.
