Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, has released the following statement regarding the BC Coroners Service’s report on illicit drug toxicity deaths from January to June 2022:                                                                 

More people living with mental-health and addictions challenges in Greater Victoria will be able to access free local counselling services because of a new provincial investment.

Young people in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody will soon have access to much-needed mental-health and substance-use supports as a new Foundry centre comes to the Tri-Cities.

Indigenous community members in Bella Coola with complex mental-health and substance-use challenges who are at risk of experiencing homelessness will soon benefit from 12 new complex-care housing spaces.

People in Powell River with complex mental-health and substance-use challenges who are at risk of experiencing homelessness will soon benefit from 20 new complex-care housing spaces.

People in Langley and Fraser South living with complex mental-health and substance-use challenges who are at risk of, or experiencing homelessness, will benefit as the Province adds 50 complex-care housing spaces in the region.

People in the Okanagan living with mental health and substance-use challenges will have access to new treatment and recovery services as government responds to the rising need due to the toxic drug supply.

A panel of subject-matter experts convened by the BC Coroners Service is calling for increased access to a safer supply of drugs and creation of an evidence-based continuum of care to better support substance users and reduce the number of illicit drug-related deaths in B.C.

People throughout British Columbia will continue to benefit from access to low- and no-cost counselling services with the extension of government funding to local community counselling agencies.