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The decriminalization of opiate possession in British Columbia reduces stigma and stops criminalizing people over medical and mental health issues, said the executive director of the Construction Industry Rehab Plan (CIRP).

In an interview with the Journal of Commerce, Vicky Waldron said the decriminalization of small possessions of drugs is an important step forward in tackling the toxic drug crisis, but is just one piece of the fight.

On Jan. 31, British Columbia decriminalized possession of less than 2.5 grams of opioids, crack and powder cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy. The drugs are still illegal to sell and so is possession of more than 2.5 grams or of any amount on certain sites such as at schools.

Waldron framed the move as destigmatizing the view on substance use as a legal issue to a medical and mental health problem.

“We shouldn’t be criminalizing a medical issue,” she said.

And you can’t treat an illness if you don’t recognize it as such.

“When you have legal issues, you want legal solutions. When you decriminalize, you start looking at solutions. What you’re actually doing is finding the right solutions for something that is a medical issue, not a legal issue,” Waldron said.

As executive director of the CIRP for the past seven years, Waldron spoke to the misconceptions still alive today surrounding substance use and how they impact attempts to find solutions.

What we need is services targeting the construction sector. We’re talking about disproportionate representation in overdose death in the industry,

— Vicky Waldron
Construction Industry Rehab Plan

“Even today, many people still believe that substance use is a choice. Just yesterday, I was talking to somebody within the industry, a very well-educated gentleman who is really supportive of the work that we do, but even this person was surprised when I started telling him about the neurological changes and chemical changes that happen in the brain when you use substances,” she said.

“Sometimes these changes can be permanent and other times ― dependent on how long somebody’s been using and the substance that they are using ― sometimes its reversible. But nonetheless, this is something that is biological and has a biological basis. When you decriminalize that, you help other people say, ‘OK, this is a medical issue. This isn’t a choice that someone’s making.”

But the change is not a “catch-all,” she said, and more action is needed to tackle the toxic drug crisis.

To take the next step, understanding the loss associated with substance use in construction is essential. Waldron emphasized the economic loss experienced alongside the more often-focused human cost.

Waldron said research by the CIRP shows workdays missed by employees due to substance use costs the construction industry in B.C. more than $800 million per year and costs the province $318 million in lost tax revenue.

“So, there is there’s also business case to be helping the construction sector tackle this issue.”

A fraction of that economic cost could make a massive positive impact in helping people with substance use problems, she said.

“What we need is services targeting the construction sector. We’re talking about disproportionate representation in overdose death in the industry.

“We need more supports, we need more beds, we need more dedicated services, we need more access to things as simple as referrals to psychiatrists and specialist services.”

Waldron said the $318 million lost every year due to substance use could build several treatment centres and provide a myriad of services to help those in need.

Many of the people her organization helps haven’t seen a physician in more than five years, she stated, and roughly one in three construction workers self-reports as having substance use and mental health problems.

Yet a majority of those who self-reported problems said they would not seek help from their company or supervisors out of the fear of the repercussions.

Therefore, one of the best things employers can do to help create a space “for someone to feel comfortable enough to come forward and say, ‘Hey, I have an issue,’” Waldron said.

One of the best ways is to start a mental health committee.

Sometimes people with the best intentions can say the wrong thing.

That’s why, Waldron said, when reaching out to a fellow employee to express concern, don’t lead with a behavioural criticism such as, “Hey, I noticed you’ve been coming in late.

“Because when we start talking about behaviours immediately, people are more likely to shut down because now you’re talking about something that may impact their job security or their reputation,” she said.

“But if you go in and have that same conversation, but this time you say, ‘Hey, I noticed you’ve not been yourself, what’s going on? What can I do to help you?’ That’s a completely different conversation and that is another example of creating space for someone to have those conversations.”