Whereas the continued illegal supply of increasingly toxic street drugs has led to over 12,000 toxic drug overdose deaths since the BC Provincial Health Officers declaration of a Drug Overdose Public Health Emergency in 2016, and government measures to date have failed to reduce the criminal supply of toxic drugs and toxic drug overdose deaths; And whereas there is insufficient province-wide access to resources and services that would increase users safety, which include drug testing and overdose prevention sites as well as detox beds and treatment services on demand, and preventative programs, especially for youth, and now even current safe injection sites are now hampered in providing safety since more users are now inhaling rather than injecting drugs and provincial regulations restrict indoor smoking and vaping: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the BC Government to: - Quickly amending the Tobacco and Vapour Products Control Act to enable supervised consumption and other harm reduction facilities to allow inhalation or smoking of drugs where operations can otherwise be demonstrated as WorkSafe compliant; and - Increasing prevention by investing in mental health treatment and life-enhancing youth, family and community well-being programs, including early childhood detection, intervention and ongoing supports for learning differences.
Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions People in BC have struggled to get the mental health and substance use care they need when they need it. Government is working hard to change that. In December 2022, the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions released a technical policy Framework that outlines the vision for a coordinated and integrated adult substance use system of care to guide policy and investment planning. Government has also taken action to address the current gaps in the adult system of substance use care and implemented new initiatives. Key actions include: - Investment of 149.5 million over three years to expand adult substance use treatment and recovery services across the care continuum, including 195 new substance use treatment and recovery beds. - Expanding harm reduction services such as drug checking and naloxone distribution. - Meet the needs of people who use drugs by increasing access to supervised inhalation services across the province to provide safe spaces for those who smoke substances and are at risk of drug toxicity events. - Implementing prescribed safer supply, providing pharmaceutical grade alternatives to illicit drugs to people at risk of drug toxicity events and deaths to help separate people from the toxic illicit drug supply, save lives, reduce harms, and enhance connections to health and social supports. - Expanding and optimizing medication assisted treatment by increasing the number of physicians and nurses who can prescribe opioid agonist treatment. - Investment of 164 million over three years through Budget 2022 to provide complex care housing services to approximately 500 people throughout BC. Budget 2023 builds on this investment by committing an additional 266 million to fund these services, including 169 million in capital funding to build 240 new complex care housing units. - Expanding team-based care by adding new Assertive Community Treatment ACT teams and implementing new substance use integrated teams. - Funding through Budget 2022 to support a rent supplement program that will include mental health and substance use supports. The Province understands that wellness promotion, prevention of mental health problems and early intervention can stop small problems from becoming bigger down the road, and the earlier we provide support, the better the outcome. Since 2017, our government has invested across the continuum of child and youth mental health and substance use services and has brought in new ways for young people to access care, including through the following: - Expansion of youth substance use services across the spectrum of care, along with new youth treatment beds, - Investment in the expansion of Foundry in-person and virtual services for young people aged 12-24 and their families Foundry services include youth-friendly primary care, mental health and substance use services, peer and family support, and social services, - Expansion of Integrated Child and Youth teams into 7 new school districts, for a total of 12 school districts across BC, and - Implementation of the Mental Health in School strategy which embeds positive mental health and wellbeing in all aspects of BCs education system including culture, leadership, curriculum, and learning environments.