Safe-supply drugs aren't being widely diverted: solicitor general

British Columbia's solicitor general says there's no evi‐ dence of widespread diver‐ sion of safe-supply opioids into the illegal drug market, after a recent seizure was cited by Alber‐ ta Premier Danielle Smith and Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre to criticize the provincial program.

Mike Farnworth says he's spoken to the RCMP's com‐ manding officer in B.C. about the drug seizure in Prince George and was told the idea that there is widespread di‐ version is "simply not true."

He says Smith and Poilievre shouldn't have made claims about the seizure without waiting for all the information.

RCMP in Prince George said last week that the seized pills included morphine and hydromorphone, two of the drugs in B.C.'s program offer‐ ing prescription alternatives to people at risk of overdose from consuming toxic street drugs. They said officers had seen "an alarming trend" in‐ volving organized criminals who were redistributing safesupply drugs.

WATCH | No evidence safe-supply drugs being di‐ verted into illegal market, say police:

On Monday afternoon, however, B.C. RCMP assistant commissioner John Brewer said there is "currently no evi‐ dence to support a wide‐ spread diversion" of the legally prescribed substances to the illegal drug market.

"The seizure of prescrip‐ tion drugs, such as narcotics and opioids, that are no longer in the possession of their prescribed owner is something the police have had to deal with on many oc‐ casions," he said in a state‐ ment. "However, the pres‐ ence of confirmed safer-sup‐ ply prescriptions are in the minority of drug seizures."

Farnworth says "some but not all" of the drugs seized in Prince George and in another investigation in Campbell Riv‐ er were from the safe supply program.

Smith said on Friday she was concerned that diverted safe-supply drugs from B.C. may end up being trafficked to Alberta, while Poilievre pledged to scrap the provin‐ cial program if he becomes prime minister.

Farnworth said in a hall‐ way of the legislature on Monday that both politicians should have waited for more details.

"Basing your statements on one single news report without waiting for all the in‐ formation is not the ... right way to go about things," he said.

He alluded to the possibil‐ ity of prescription pill coun‐ terfeiting, saying criminal or‐ ganizations are "extremely sophisticated in terms of how they can make things look."

B.C. Premier David Eby said he had spoken to Smith about her concerns and he "made a commitment" that B.C. officials are "happy to meet with her to receive any information or evidence that they have of diversion."

When Eby was asked about Poilievre's comment over the weekend, he said he was reluctant to speculate about the actions of future governments, but said the di‐ rection is clear for B.C. and safe supply is keeping people alive.

In an interview last Thurs‐ day with CBC News, Prince George RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Jennifer Cooper said police concluded the pills were improperly diverted af‐ ter talking to "contacts at Northern Health," who Cooper said told officers "that morphine and hydro‐ morphone are designated safe supply prescription drugs."

When pressed for more details on how officers con‐ firmed the pills were in fact from doctor prescriptions, Cooper replied: "From the way we find them and when we complete our search war‐ rants, we're finding these drugs not in the hands of the intended users."

During a Prince George city council meeting Monday night, RCMP Supt. Shaun Wright said he believed "sig‐ nificant quantities of pre‐ scription drugs" from recent seizures appeared to be from the safe-supply program.

"Unfortunately, that does seem to make up a propor‐ tion of what we are seizing," he said, noting he could only comment on what RCMP had seen in Prince George.

"To me, subjectively, seems to be increasing."

Coun. Kyle Sampson said the information coming from the province was "disap‐ pointing," as it wasn't in line with what "boots on the ground" investigators were saying.

"It's discouraging to see politics coming into play, rather than actual facts being at the forefront and making political decisions based on those," he said.

WATCH | B.C. premier wants RCMP briefing on im‐ pact of safe supply:

Eby told an unrelated news conference on Monday that there is always a risk that prescription medications could be diverted to people they're not intended for.

The majority of hydromor‐ phone prescribed in B.C. is prescribed for pain, he said.

"It doesn't matter the source of the diversion. If there is diversion from British Columbia, from a pharmacy, from individuals, we want to address that is‐ sue," Eby said. "We want to keep people safe, and we want to make sure that we're addressing the toxic drug crisis.

"That doesn't mean that we would accept diversion of these drugs that could put other communities or other individuals at risk."

In December, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry released a review of B.C.'s safe supply program, finding some clients reported diverting hydromorphone in order "to obtain fentanyl or other substances that ade‐ quately address their with‐ drawal and cravings" or to help others who cannot ac‐ cess the program.

"The impact of using di‐ verted prescription opioids on people at current risk of unregulated drug poisoning remains unclear," the report said. it