WHEREAS the abuse of alcohol places a burden on society and is a contributing factor to homelessness; AND WHEREAS dealing with the effects of alcohol abuse places an undue strain on a local government tax base: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM request the Province of BC to allocate 5 of the existing revenue received from the sale of liquor sold through rural agency stores, licensed retail stores and government liquor stores and that these funds be directed to the local government in which the outlet is located and be used to support local drug and alcohol awareness and prevention programs for youth and adults.
Ministry of Finance The Province currently provides funding to local governments through a variety of sources and programs e.g. Towns for Tomorrow, Building Canada Fund, Strategic Community Investment Fund. The government also transfers 100 per cent of net traffic fine revenues to local governments for community policing, crime prevention and other initiatives to help make communities safer. This represents over 383 million in additional revenue for local governments since 2004. Government is also working to prevent drunk driving. Drivers who blow once in the fail range, or three times within five years in the warn range, are required to participate in the rehabilitative Responsible Driver Program. The Province is projected to spend over 1.3 billion this year to address mental health and substance use problems. This is up 47 from 2001. A number of initiatives have been undertaken to support British Columbians dealing with mental health and substance abuse challenges: - The governments recently released policy framework, Healthy Minds, Healthy People: A Ten-Year Plan to Address Mental Health and Substance Use in British Columbia, outlines a vision for prevention of mental illness and problematic substance use that is comprehensive and reaches across multiple sectors. - As part of the HealthyStart component of HealthyFamilies BC, the Ministry of Health has announced that a public health nurse led, home visiting and parent training program for vulnerable first-time mothers and their children will be launched in 2012; the Nurse Family Partnership program has a proven track record of preventing and reducing harms from substance use over the long term for both vulnerable mothers and their children. - The Ministry of Health and the BC Medical Association have developed and released a new primary care tool and supports to screen patients for problematic drinking and to intervene appropriately. - The Ministry of Health has worked with the Ministry of Education and the University of Victorias Centre for Addictions Research of BC CARBC to develop and implement iMinds, a package of learning resources focused on substance use and mental wellness targeting students in grades 7 10.