Civil liberties group sounds alarm about B.C.’s involuntary care plans [Video]

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has called on B.C. Premier David Eby to abandon the province’s planned expansion of involuntary care for people suffering from a combination of drug addiction, brain injuries and mental health issues.

In a statement Wednesday, the CCLA’s Anaïs Bussières McNicoll acknowledged ongoing problems surrounding the “alarming and pressing epidemic” of drug addiction in the province, but called plans announced by Eby over the weekend to mandate treatment for certain individuals with concurrent health issues “unacceptable.”

“Forced treatment directly impacts the rights to liberty and security. Courts have recognized that the right to refuse unwanted medical treatment is fundamental to a person’s dignity and autonomy,” said Bussières McNicoll, director of the association’s Fundamental Freedoms Program.

“Going against these basic human rights by forcing individuals to be admitted into treatment facilities is arbitrary detention.”

Bussières McNicoll also raised concerns that involuntary care is “likely to disproportionately target groups that are already marginalized,” including …