Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, has given the following statement concerning the BC Coroners Service’s report on illegal drug poisonousness deaths in October 2022:

“In October, we lost the lives of 179 people to the toxic drug supply. The agony felt by those who have lost their nearest and dearest to this public-health crisis is profound. My heart goes out to the families, friends and communities that are grieving these losses.

“Our government is increasing and evolving our reaction to this public-health emergency as we make every effort to stop the dreadful loss of life to the toxic drug supply. While we have been adding new cure and recovery services, expanding overindulge deterrence and working to end disgrace about addiction, the increasing illegal drug poisonousness has taken more lives.

“Earlier this month, A New Tomorrow unlocked its doors in Kamloops and is offering publicly funded substance-use cure for adults and youth. On Vancouver Island, Coastal Sage Healing Centre is greeting women and non-binary people to its cure centre, offering ethnically safe and trauma-informed services. We see there is more work to do.

“We keep acting on professional advice and voices of people with lived and living experience. Later this week, we will issue the Adult Substance Use System of Care Framework, which was one of the recommendations of the BC Coroners Service’s 2022 Death Review Panel: A Review of Illegal Drug Poisonousness Deaths report. The structure was built on close teamwork and consultation with more than 300 partners and contributors across health and social sectors. It will guide the progress of new models of substance-use care, where every person’s requirements are met at every point of their recovery journey.”