Whereas in April 2016, the Provincial Health Officer declared a public health emergency due to drug-related overdoses and deaths in BC; And whereas BC communities are facing unintended financial and social consequences related to overdose prevention and supervised injection and inhalation sites including: additional security needs; cleanup of needles, drug paraphernalia, garbage, and human waste; and impacts on businesses and surrounding neighbourhoods: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the provincial government and health authorities to include funding and staff for security, clean-up, and social services at harm reduction locations and surrounding neighbourhoods in BC communities; And be it further resolved that the provincial government share the 150 million settlement from Purdue Pharma Canada with local governments in recognition that there are financial consequences due to the opioid and overdose crisis that are currently being covered by local budgets, and local police, fire and bylaw departments.
Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions Our government is committed to bringing an end to the toxic illicit drug crisis which is currently claiming six lives every day in our province. While we are escalating harm reduction measures to save lives, we understand that local governments and members of the public may be concerned about safety and social impact when it comes to the location of overdose prevention and supervised consumption services. Balancing the neighbourhood safety and security with the urgent and increasing need for mental health and substance use services is ongoing work. Ministry staff are actively working with overdose prevention service providers and local governments to address local level concerns, including potential neighbourhood impacts. Any time there are safety concerns, measures are put in place to make sure the community is as safe as possible, while also making sure people who need lifesaving supports receive them. The settlement agreement of 150 million will be recovered as part of the class action lawsuit, agreed to by all provinces and territories and subject to final approval by the courts. Class Counsel has retained an expert to determine how, on a principled basis, the funds should be allocated, and we are currently in discussions with all provinces and territories on that allocation. In the meantime, the province continues to confront this emergency from every angle, making the large, systemic changes necessary to turn the tide on this crisis. There is more to do, and we wont stop working until we turn this crisis around.