Every life lost to an overdose is a tragedy.
Recently, the BC Coroner Service reported that in 2023, British Columbia witnessed the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a calendar year.
A devastating 2,511 people lost their lives to drugs last year, with an average of seven drug overdoses occurring each day. At least 417 of these deaths were in Interior Health and 13 were right here in Cariboo-Chilcotin.
The Coroner’s report is a further indictment of the NDP government’s disastrous decriminalization policy which has recklessly endangered lives. The consequences are damming and can be seen in the lives lost, families broken, and communities suffering.
Every week I hear from constituents concerned with the government’s handling of the toxic drug crisis. Parents are afraid of taking their kids to parks, which have become plagued by open drug use in the last year as a result of decriminalization. Families are desperate for increased treatment and recovery support for their loved ones who are struggling with the persistent challenges of addiction and have nowhere to turn.
The NDP’s approach isn’t working, and people are suffering no matter where you look: record-high homelessness, deteriorating public safety, a healthcare crisis, and an affordability crisis that’s led to seniors living in their cars unable to afford the medication they need.
We need a different approach to the overdose crisis in B.C, one that prioritizes free treatment instead of just free drugs for those struggling with addiction.
A year ago, BC United presented our Better is Possible plan, urging the government to change direction and focus on treatment and recovery.
Our plan will deliver results through a multi-step approach to make treatment more accessible and affordable, increase services for complex mental health needs, and implement awareness and prevention education campaigns.
Better is possible, we just need a government bold enough to act.