Whereas the British Columbia provincial government declared a public health emergency on April 14, 2016, in response to rapidly escalating fatalities caused by the unregulated and toxic drug supply; And whereas despite some action by the provincial government to mitigate harm linked to the unregulated drug supply, interventions to-date have not been proportionate to the scale and scope of the crisis, with over 11,390 preventable deaths of British Columbians due to accidental overdose linked back to the toxic drug supply between April 2016 and December 31, 2022; And whereas offering a safe, predictable, and regulated supply of drugs safe supply is widely recognized by health officials, policy makers, academic researchers, and advocates as a key intervention for addressing the drug poisoning crisis, and structural, policy and legal impediments to a safe supply are yet to be resolved: Therefore be it resolved that the UBCM advocate to the provincial and federal governments for increased access to accessible, culturally safe, and reliable safe supply in collaboration with its affiliated members, health and drug policy experts, and other relevant stakeholders; And be it further resolved that UBCM ask the provincial and federal governments to work collaboratively with its affiliated members, health and drug policy experts, and other relevant stakeholders to create an educational resource for engaging civic actors on the benefits of safe supply services as part of a continuum of critical health interventions including harm reduction, prevention, treatment and recovery, enforcement, and housing with the objective of reducing unregulated drug poisoning deaths.
Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions The provincial government is committed to bringing an end to the toxic drug crisis which is currently claiming six lives every day in our province. We are working with urgency to confront this emergency from every angle, making the large, systemic changes necessary to turn the tide on this crisis. The government has made an historic 1 billion investment to build an integrated system of mental health and substance use system of care that works for all British Columbians. Budget 2023 provides 184 million over the next three years to support safer substance use. This includes 68 million to expand access to prescribed safer supply. BCs Prescribed Safer Supply Policy was developed with the engagement of health and drug policy experts, medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, people with lived and living experience, the First Nations Health Authority, and all regional health authorities. We continue to work with health authorities and relevant stakeholders to support the implementation of prescribed safer supply including the expansion of existing and creation of new programs, increasing staffing capacity through hiring new full-time-equivalent positions, and robust monitoring and evaluation of the policys implementation. The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions is committed to hearing and being responsive to the voices of communities, including people who use drugs, public health, local governments, and civic actors. We continue to scale up efforts to support education and knowledge mobilization around prescribed safer supply and other harm reduction services as part of a continuum of critical health interventions to address the toxic drug crisis. There is more to do, and government will not stop working until we turn this crisis around. We will continue to evaluate and enhance our response to ensure that no person is left behind.