With British Columbia on pace to set a new record for overdose deaths this year, Premier John Horgan says his new government remains committed to tackling the crisis.
John Horgan says he is confident in the abilities new Mental Health and Addictions Minister, Sheila Malcolmson who takes over from Judy Darcy who did not seek reelection.
“We have committed through the election campaign to more treatment beds. We have committed to working with police chiefs and with the federal government and local governments as well to making sure that we decriminalize and de-stigmatize addictions,” Horgan said.
“These are critical steps forward but the biggest challenge we face right now is COVID-19 and the impact that’s having.”
Darcy was the province’s first-ever addictions minister amid the ongoing opioid crisis after a public health emergency was declared by the former BC Liberal government in 2016.
B.C. appeared to have turned the corner on the overdose crisis late last year but deaths began spiking in March at the onset of the COVID-19 restrictions and the impact it is has had on people. Front-line workers in Kamloops are now calling for better supports.
“We know COVID-19 is having an impact on our ability to get to those who are using, those who are struggling with addictions,” Horgan said. “These concurrent issues need to have our attention every single day and having a stand alone minister who’s focused on that was a commitment I made in 2017 and recommitted to today.”
Horgan notes he is looking for more leadership to tackle the crisis that has killed 1,386 British Columbians this year, 50 in Kamloops, leaving the province just 163 deaths away from breaking the record of 1,549 deaths set two years ago in 2018.
“What I believe we need is national leadership. Its a criminal code issue,” he said. “I know that there are going to be requests and calls for more resources and we are going to do our level best to meet those but to get safe supply is an issue that the community has been talking about for a long time.”
“We want to make sure we can realize that. I know that Minister Malcolmson is going to be focusing on that first thing tomorrow morning.”
