Whereas it has been eight years since the declaration of the toxic drug crisis as a public health emergency; And whereas local governments need their provincial partners to move from reaction to action by developing and implementing a holistic plan that brings into balance all four pillars: prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery, and enforcement: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province develop and implement a balanced holistic plan, based on these four pillars prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery, and enforcement for resolving the toxic drug crisis.
Ministry of Health Toxic drug poisonings continue to claim the lives of thousands of people across Canada each year. This includes the 2,271 people who lost their lives due to poisoned drugs in British Columbia in 2024. While this represents a slight decrease from the previous year, each death remains a tragic loss felt deeply in communities across our province. The Government of BC remains committed to responding comprehensively to the toxic drug crisis in our province, by ensuring that people in BC have access to a range of support and services across the substance use continuum of care. In 2022, the former Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions released the Adult Substance Use System of Care Framework, a technical policy document developed in partnership with health system partners from across the province. This framework lays out the foundations of a seamless, integrated substance use system of care that meets people where theyre at and offers a range of services across the continuum of care to meet peoples unique needs in communities across BC. The Framework continues to guide the Ministry of Health in responding to the toxic drug crisis, as we work to implement and expand evidence-based services, ranging from prevention, to treatment, to aftercare. The Road to Recovery represents one approach to achieving the system of care set out in the Framework. The Road to Recovery is a made-in-BC model of addictions care that establishes a seamless continuum of substance use services that includes assessment, withdrawal management detox, treatment, and aftercare services for clients with moderate to severe substance use disorders. Part of Budget 2025s 500 million investment in mental health and addictions care will support the expansion of the Road to Recovery model to all health regions in BC.