This is a page from the 2024 British Columbia general election.
Health & Healthcare

Drugs and addiction platforms

Here's what the 2024 BC election parties are promising.

BC NDP
  • Provide individually-tailored, publicly-funded addiction treatment and support, accessible through a single phone number province-wide

    "Getting people with addictions the right care in the right place when they’re ready for treatment with individually tailored, publicly funded addiction treatment and support, from detox to after-care, accessible through a single phone number across the entire province." — An Action Plan for You, retrieved 2024-10-07

  • Increase drug prevention education in BC schools

    "Helping prevent the cycle of addiction by strengthening drug prevention education in BC schools. Built around providing supportive training and resources to all school staff, this ap- proach is aimed at creating opportunities for children and youth to be engaged about how dangerous and toxic drugs are. And done in ways that are appropriate for their age and grade, and maximizes their odds of making good choices to protect themselves and their friends." — An Action Plan for You, retrieved 2024-10-07

  • Support First Nations treatment centres and Indigenous-led programming
  • Fund more at-home addiction treatment services
  • Create residential treatment options that provide direct supports to parents undergoing addiction treatment

    "Removing barriers to treatment and keep families together through the recovery process by establishing residential treatment options that provide direct supports to parents undergoing addiction treatment." — An Action Plan for You, retrieved 2024-10-07

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  • Build a second Red Fish Healing Centre and satellite facilities to provide treatment beds for mental health and substance use disorders

    "Expanding specialized treatment beds for people from across the province with both mental health and substance use disorders by building a second Red FishHealing Centre and additional “satellite” facilities." — An Action Plan for You, retrieved 2024-10-07

  • Involuntarily commit people with brain injuries, severe mental health illnesses, and addictions

    "Providing secure, supportive and dignified care for people in BC whose struggles with brain injuries, severe mental health illness and addiction require intensive care.

    By opening up secure facilities to provide secure care under the Mental Health Act, we can deliver help to people who are potentially a danger to themselves or others — so that rather than often ending up in and out of prison, they will be in a physically and culturally safe environment receiving the care they need."

    — An Action Plan for You, retrieved 2024-10-07

  • Build an Addictions Treatment Centre for construction workers
  • Expand availability of nasal naloxone to pharmacies province-wide
  • Set up designated mental health units in correctional centres to provide rapid treatment for mental health and addiction challenges

    "Breaking the chain of addictions leading to crime by setting up designated mental health units in correctional centres to provide rapid treatment for people with mental health and addiction challenges being held on remand or sentenced to custody by the courts." — An Action Plan for You, retrieved 2024-10-07

BC Conservatives
  • End drug decriminalisation
  • Work with Indigenous leaders to develop treatment and recovery programmes within First Nations communities

    "We will work with Indigenous leaders to develop treatment and recovery programs available within First Nations communities. Individuals undergoing treatment for health challenges including addiction, should have the option of receiving the support they need close to home, in a familiar and culturally appropriate environment." — conservativebc.ca, retrieved 2024-10-08

  • Maximally crack down on criminals importing and distributing drugs

    "Do everything in its power to crack-down on criminals who import and distribute deadly drugs like fentanyl." — conservativebc.ca, retrieved 2024-10-08

  • Work with the federal government to improve border integrity
  • Expand access to addiction and mental health supports inside the justice and correctional systems

    "Integrate treatment into the correctional healthcare systems: When someone with a debilitating addiction problem arrives at a hospital or is taken into custody, we will offer or require immediate access to evidence-based addiction treatments. We won’t allow people to fall through the cracks anymore."— Common Sense Change for British Columbia, retrieved 2024-10-15

    "Expand access to addiction and mental health supports for individuals in the justice and correctional systems."— Common Sense Change for British Columbia, retrieved 2024-10-15

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  • Work with all levels of government to reinstate full and reliable funding for RCMP-led Waterfront Joint Forces Operations to secure ports

    "Secure our ports by working with the Port and all 3 levels of government to reinstate full and reliable funding for the RCMP-led Waterfront Joint Forces Operations, and expand the number of officers on the team." — conservativebc.ca, retrieved 2024-10-08

  • Use regulatory tools to crack down on fentanyl precursor materials
  • Appoint an Addictions Specialist with cross-ministerial authority

    "Appoint an Addictions Specialist with cross-ministerial authority to oversee the BC government’s response to the addiction public health emergency." — Common Sense Change for British Columbia, retrieved 2024-10-15

  • End safe supply
  • Shut down overdose prevention sites that don't abide by strict standards

    "Hold overdose prevention sites accountable: As a temporary and emergency measure, some existing overdose prevention sites may be required. Unlike Eby, we will not hesitate to shut-down any site that refuses to abide by strict standards of conduct. No more free-for-all drug use near schools and playgrounds, no more spilling-out onto residential streets." — Common Sense Change for British Columbia, retrieved 2024-10-15

  • Make it easy to connect virtually with an addiction specialist and start treatment

    "Establish a Virtual Opioid Dependency Program: Across the province, we will make it easy for anyone to connect virtually with addiction specialists and start treatment without delay." — Common Sense Change for British Columbia, retrieved 2024-10-15

  • Fund abstinence-based treatment and recovery options

    "Fund abstinence-based treatment and recovery as an option available to anyone." — Common Sense Change for British Columbia, retrieved 2024-10-15

  • Ensure wide availability of nasal Naloxone

    "Ensure wide availability of Nasal Naloxone: Free and accessible, province- wide, because saving lives must come first." — Common Sense Change for British Columbia, retrieved 2024-10-15

  • Provide seamless and monitored transitions from detox to outpatient or inpatient care

    "Close the gap between detox and care: The current system lets people fall into dangerous gaps between detox and treatment. We will provide seamless and monitored transitions from detox to outpatient or inpatient care." — Common Sense Change for British Columbia, retrieved 2024-10-15

  • Integrate drug treatment services into supportive housing facilities

    "Housing with treatment: No more warehousing or tent cities. Current and future supportive housing facilities must be integrated with healthcare services as an integral part of their programming, not as an afterthought or absent altogether." — Common Sense Change for British Columbia, retrieved 2024-10-15

  • Build 12-month live-in recovery communities, and build specialised housing for people with anoxic brain injuries due to drug use

    "Build recovery communities: We will build regional recovery communities that will provide professional care and guidance to those recovering from addictions. The program will allow up to 12-month live-in participation as well as a subsequent guidance program to assist in post treatment housing, career, and personal counseling." — Common Sense Change for British Columbia, retrieved 2024-10-15

    "Build specialized housing for complex needs: We will establish housing for those with anoxic brain injuries due to drug use, who cannot thrive in traditional treatment environments." — Common Sense Change for British Columbia, retrieved 2024-10-15

  • Involuntarily commit people with addiction who are unable to make life-saving decisions on their own

    "Enact “Christian’s Law” for compassionate intervention: We will introduce involuntary treatment legislation for individuals with addiction who are unable to make life-saving decisions on their own. After consultation with his family, the law will be named after Christian DeSousa, a young man who lost his life to drugs after struggling with addiction since age 13. The NDP government refused to place Christian in involuntary treatment that his mother pleaded for, repeatedly." — Common Sense Change for British Columbia, retrieved 2024-10-15

BC Greens
  • Regulate substance use treatment

    "Create an evidence-based standard of care for all substance use treatment services, informed by experts and community leaders." — BC Greens 2024 Platform, retrieved 2024-10-09

    "Ensure that individuals working on the frontlines and those with lived experience of substance use are valued in decision-making processes." — BC Greens 2024 Platform, retrieved 2024-10-09

  • Require that service providers give comprehensive data and robust reporting on outcomes to receive public funding

    "Regulate substance use treatment in BC, and ensure that any public funding for treatment comes with a requirement that the service provider gives comprehensive data and robust reporting on outcomes." — BC Greens 2024 Platform, retrieved 2024-10-09

  • Require all public hospitals to have spaces for safe, supervised consumption of substances, including by inhalation

    "Require all public hospitals to include spaces for safe, supervised consumption of substances, with capacity for inhalation." — BC Greens 2024 Platform, retrieved 2024-10-09

  • Ensure all shelters that allow substance use have spaces for safe inhalation
  • Expand supervised consumption services and evaluate mobile overdose prevention services

    "Continue the expansion of supervised consumption services and evaluate mobile overdose prevention services to reduce access barriers." — BC Greens 2024 Platform, retrieved 2024-10-09

  • Show 9 more promises...
  • Extend service hours for overdose prevention sites, aiming for 24-hour availability

    "Work with providers to extend service hours for overdose prevention sites, aiming for 24-hour availability." — BC Greens 2024 Platform, retrieved 2024-10-09

  • Allocate annual funding for existing drug-checking services, and expand drug-checking services to in underserved areas

    "Allocate annual funding for existing drug-checking services to ensure their sustainability." — BC Greens 2024 Platform, retrieved 2024-10-09

  • Mandate all schools provide evidence-based, age-appropriate information on drugs and substance use
  • Expand the range of substances available through prescribed safer supply and Opioid Agonist Treatment
  • Expand prescribing of diacetylmorphine

    "Begin the expansion of diacetylmorphine prescribing based on evidence from the NAOMI trials." — BC Greens 2024 Platform, retrieved 2024-10-09

  • Evaluate a demedicalised model for regulated alternatives to the toxic drug supply
  • Work with pharmaceutical companies to manufacture diacetylmorphine and intranasal naloxone in BC
    1. "Partner with health professionals and pharmaceutical companies to create a made-in-BC solution for diacetylmorphine production.
    2. Provide funding for BC pharmaceutical companies to manufacture intranasal naloxone locally."

    — BC Greens 2024 Platform, retrieved 2024-10-09

  • Match investments in bed-based treatment care with community-based outpatient substance use treatment services
  • Work with local governments and the federal government to pursue decriminalisation, with safe consumption sites and housing available

    "Collaborate with local partners and the federal government to pursue decriminalization, ensuring the development of necessary services like safe consumption sites and housing." — BC Greens 2024 Platform, retrieved 2024-10-09

Looking for the parties' positions on other topics?

See our full 2024 BC election platform comparison