I almost spit out my coffee when I read the headline and premise of last week’s opinion column by Marshall Smith, the former chief of staff to the premier of Alberta: “Banning public drug use is bold, courageous and obvious.”

I’ve been sober for more than 12 years. Before that, I spent three decades on the streets of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, struggling with my mental health, in and out of recovery for heroin use, and sent to jail and drug court more than once for the things I did to feed my addiction. I can tell you: there’s never been an unwillingness in this country to criminalize people who are struggling, but in my 40+ years of addiction and recovery, I see that it’s easier now than ever to punch down on our most vulnerable…