Victoria/Fraser Valley – Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, has released the following statement regarding the BC Coroners Service report on illicit drug toxicity deaths in September 2023:
“It is with heavy heart that B.C. continues to lose loved ones throughout our communities. In September, we lost 175 people to the poisoned drug supply circulating in our province. Even though this number is down slightly from the same time last year and the previous month, we can’t forget we’re not just talking about statistics. We’re talking about irreplaceable people. Every day, families, friends and communities are navigating tides of deep grief and trauma in the wake of lost loved ones. No words can soften these losses.
Meanwhile, a report issued by a panel of subject-matter experts recommends the Province immediately pursue additional measures to expand access to safer supply by allowing access for people at risk of significant injury or death without a prescription.
“This report is the result of a tremendous amount of collaboration and problem solving,” said Michael Egilson, panel chair. “The experts on the panel were thoughtful, committed and practical in identifying an approach that we feel can guide future efforts to expand access to viable alternatives to an illicit supply of substances that is only increasing in volatility and toxicity. Our goal was to demonstrate a way forward that reflects a sense of urgency that is commensurate with the scale of the crisis – a way that can be rolled out quickly in order to save lives now. I believe this report accomplishes just that.”
Panel recommendations include:
- The provincial Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions immediately begin taking steps to apply to the federal minister of Health and minister of Mental Health and Addictions for a class exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substance Act (CDSA) to allow access without a prescription to the class of opioid and stimulant drugs, for people at risk of dying due to the toxicity of the drug supply in British Columbia.
- The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions develop an application for agencies to apply for licensure and delegated authority to distribute the regulated substances on a non-prescription basis.
- The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions engage with people with lived and living experience with substance use and family/caregivers in the process of planning, implementation and evaluation to ensure the needs of people most at risk of dying from the unregulated drug supply are met.
- The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, and respecting Indigenous self-determination, further fund, support and engage with Indigenous leadership to identify Indigenous solutions to the crisis, potentially including, but not limited to, the actions suggested above.
