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This week on Legally Speaking with Michael Mulligan:

From March to May 2020, the number of people who have died as a result of drug overdoses in British Columbia has been more than double the number of people who have died from COVID-19: 401 vs 164.

January COVID-19 deaths: 0\\xa0 Overdose deaths: 77
February COVID-19 deaths: 0\\xa0 Overdose deaths: 76
March\\xa0 COVID-19 deaths: 24 Overdose deaths: 113
April \\xa0 COVID-19 deaths: 87\\xa0 Overdose deaths: 118
May \\xa0 COVID-19 deaths: 53\\xa0 Overdose deaths: 170

Some of the efforts to assist with COVID-19, such as providing $2,000 / month payments to people who are out of work may have increased the number of drug overdose deaths. As of May 2020, the number of overdose deaths has more than doubled from the number seen in January or February, before the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit became available.\\xa0

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has released a report entitled Stopping The Harm \\u2013 Decriminalization of people who use drugs in BC. The report proposes that drug addiction be dealt with as a medical, rather than criminal law issue.\\xa0

Also discussed on the show are three pieces of provincial legislation that were recently introduced.

Bill 22 would permit people under the age of 19, who are determined to have engaged in \\u201csevere problematic substance use\\u201d to be involuntarily detained by chemical, electronic, mechanical, or other means for the purpose of \\u201cstabilization\\u201d. For this to be effective, in any long-term way, it\\u2019s necessary to have immediately available drug treatment space available. This requires more than legislation: it requires funding.\\xa0

Bill 21 would permit electronic wills, that can be witnessed remotely. This will be a longer-term solution than Ministerial Order M161, which has temporarily permitted wills to be witnessed remotely, in the context of COVID-19. Without measures like these, people in long term care homes, and others who are in isolation, would be unable to create a will.\\xa0

Bill 11 is much more problematic. This is the legislation that would implement mandatory no-fault ICBC car insurance. The premise of the legislation is a prohibition on being able to sue someone who injures you in a car accident. Instead, you would be required to accept compensation from ICBC, which is referred to as \\u201cthe corporation\\u201d in the legislation. The compensation from ICBC will the same regardless of who caused the accident.

Follow this link for a transcript of the show and links to the material discussed.\\xa0