After years of putting it off, B.C. is long past due to get rid of the government mandated jet lag of Daylight Saving Time.
While it may have served a purpose in the very distant days that it was introduced, when things like energy rationing was a necessity, it does more harm now than good.
There is of course the immediate disruption to everyone’s daily lives from losing an hour of our sleep schedule.
It goes beyond just simple disruption, and can have more serious consequences on people’s health other than cutting into people’s rest.
For many seniors, let alone younger individuals dealing with serious illness, they rely on receiving medication at a set time every day.
Animals don’t care about some arbitrary hour on a clock either.
The number of traffic accidents increases in the week following the start of daylight saving time. Changes in time also have been linked to an increase in heart attacks and stroke.
It’s been five years since former premier John Horgan first promised to do away with the antiquated tradition.
Since then, the province has passed legislation to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, but it hasn’t been enacted.
The province continues to wait on Oregon and Washington State south of the border to move forward with the permanent change.
If we rely on the dysfunctional United States government to give approval for the states to scrap Daylight Saving Time, we may be waiting another five years.
As nice as it would be to stay on the same page, B.C. can lead the way and in time, the United States can catch up.
– Black Press