Gov't polling showed many Canadians' drug decriminalization fears
Months before B.C. sought to scale back its drug decriminalization pilot project, the federal government's own polling suggested to officials that a majority of Canadians believed the policy would lead to an increase in overdoses.
![Gov't polling showed many Canadians' drug decriminalization fears](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7015663.1698937135!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/cocaine-and-other-drugs.jpeg)
![In most municipalities, cocaine levels rose from January to May 2022 compared with the same period in 2020, and early data for 2023 suggests that spike is continuing, according to a Statistics Canada report released on Wednesday. A white powder and some pills are strewn amid other drug paraphernalia.](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7015663.1698937135!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/cocaine-and-other-drugs.jpeg)
Months before B.C. sought to scale back its drug decriminalization pilot project, the federal government's own polling suggested to officials that a majority of Canadians believed the policy would lead to an increase in overdoses.