Whereas communities in British Columbia are in the midst of a very severe health crisis that is taking lives of mothers, fathers, sons and daughters all over the province, such that so far this year, as of April 30, 2017, 488 people have died in British Columbia from drug overdoses, with projected death toll for 2017 estimated to be 1,400 individuals, and there is every reason to believe that this death rate will continue unabated unless our communities change the dynamics propelling this crisis; And whereas the Abbotsford Police Department has produced a report The Opioid Crisis, A Case for Prevention: For a crisis caused by an unstoppable flow of drugs that are killing people daily, the real answer lies with finding a way to successfully stop people from even starting, that provides recommendations for creating a structure to address the crisis: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province of British of Columbia, and more particularly the Minister of Health, develop a comprehensive cross-governmental prevention and intervention program and corresponding implementation plan that has a long term vision, a well-governed and well-funded sustainable structure, as well as measurable outcomes to appropriately address the drug overdose crisis across the Province of British Columbia.
Ministry of Mental Health Addictions The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions agrees that the overdose crisis requires a comprehensive approach across sectors. The Ministry is committed to continue to work in partnership across government including ministries responsible for housing, children and family development, education and public safety, with communities, experts, and people with lived experience to implement a comprehensive package of essential services for overdose prevention in BC. These services include health sector interventions including prevention e.g., Foundry mental health and substance use services for children and youth, and public awareness campaigns, harm reduction, screening and fast-tracking pathways to care, and low-barrier access to a range of evidence-based treatment and recovery services. The services also include strategies to create a supportive environment through social stabilization, peer empowerment, cultural safety and humility, and stigma reduction. Government has provided 322 million in funding over the next three years 201718 to 201920 to address four key areas of focus: 1. Saving lives: Services for people who use drugs that help reduce the risk of overdose, reduce the severity of overdose, or provide immediate lifesaving interventions when an overdose has happened. 2. Ending the stigma around addictions and mental illness: Activities that reduce negative attitudes about people who use drugs that keep may people from seeking and receiving help for problematic substance use. 3. Building a network of mental health and addiction treatment services: Services that support treatment of and recovery from addiction. 4. Addressing the full range of supports and social factors: Activities and services that address social factors related to substance use such as housing, income, employment, and community development. These areas of focus have been and continue to be informed by people with lived experience and their families and friends; front-line service providers and community organizations; recommendations from partner organizations including regional health authorities, the First Nations Health Authority, BC Coroners Service, and reports from Abbotsford and Vancouver Police Departments. New data and intelligence from across sectors is being fed into the Overdose Emergency Response Centre, which was established on December 1, 2017 to escalate the provinces response. On February 1, 2018, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions announced 18 high-priority communities in BC that will establish Community Action Teams to further accelerate overdose prevention and response at the local level. These teams will include representation from municipal government; Indigenous partners; regional health authorities; first responders, including police, fire and ambulance; front-line community agencies; divisions of family practice community-based groups of family physicians; people and families with personal experience; and local provincial ministry offices, including housing, children and family development, and poverty reduction services. Grant funding up to 100,000 per community will support these teams to identify the most effective overdose prevention interventions for their individual communities.