Amnesty International: Bill 6 prohibits “the public consumption of illegal substances” in public spaces, with the government’s stated goal being the “clearing of encampments by enhancing penalties.” In practice, the bill widens police discretion. It authorizes warrantless arrests and removals from public space based on a broad and subjective “reasonable grounds” standard, increasing the likelihood of police surveillance and enforcement against people who are visibly unhoused or perceived to be using drugs.  

For people living in encampments, removal from public space often means losing access to community, harm reduction supplies, and informal safety networks that reduce the risk of overdose. Bill 6 compounds this harm by treating a person’s return to a public space after being removed as an aggravating factor in sentencing – meaning people who are unhoused could face harsher penalties simply for going back to where they live. 

Amnesty International is concerned that these expanded powers will be weaponized against communities already disproportionately targeted by police violence. 

Read the full article on Colonial Policing in a Drug Crisis: How Bill 6 and Bill 223 Endanger Lives