The B.C. government is providing new municipal funding supports for communities to find local solutions to the overdose crisis.
Mental Health and Addictions Minister Judy Darcy announced the funding on Monday, the first day of the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) conference.
The province will fund up to $3.5 million in funding. Each community will be eligible for up to $50,000 in grant funding for community projects through the Community Wellness and Harm Reduction Grant program.
The province said community dialogues, needle distribution and recovery programs and projects that reduce stigma and help connect people to health-care services as examples of how the money can be used.
“There is no question the fentanyl poisoning crisis is one of the greatest challenges our province has ever faced,” Darcy said.
“We have to use every tool in out tool box and we need to keep adding tools. We need to keep escalating our response, every month, every week, every single day until we turn the tide on this crisis,” Darcy said.
The province is also committing additional grant funding for the 35 communities hardest hit by the overdose crisis.
The funding up to $150,000 will go towards on-the-ground community action teams to “escalate local, integrated planning and strategies in response to the overdose crisis.”
“From day one, we recognized that it is people on the ground, on the front lines of the overdose crisis who know best what works in their communities, large and small,” Darcy said.
“By investing in local solutions, we are coming together as a province to reduce harm, fight stigma and support people on their own pathway to healing and hope.”
WATCH (aired September 7, 2019): New Vancouver task force shows promising results
There are already 19 community action teams operating.
The new teams will be established in Hope, the Tri-Cities, Mission, South Surrey/White Rock, Penticton, Grand Forks, Nelson/Castlegar, West Kelowna, Williams Lake, Oceanside, Comox Valley, Quesnel, Dawson Creek, Terrace, Sunshine Coast and the Sea to Sky Corridor (Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton).
Surrey mayor Doug McCallum praised the province for its efforts but pushed for additional money.
“We are seeing declines. From my point of view, for the City of Surrey, that is when we need to put more effort in to drive it down more quickly,” McCallum said.
WATCH (aired August 10, 2019): B.C. nurses join the push to decriminalize drug use
The latest numbers from the BC Coroners Service show a drop in suspected drug toxicity deaths.
According to the province data, there were 73 deaths linked to illicit drugs in June 2019 down 35 per cent from the 113 deaths in June 2018.
To access the new funding, the eligible grant projects must be led by municipalities in partnership with a regional health authority.
“Over the past few years, Abbotsford has put many local programs in place to address the specific needs of vulnerable people in our community, including implementing a community action team, an inter-agency care team and a community wellness hub,” said Abbotsford mayor Henry Braun.
“We are thrilled that the province is continuing to support municipalities and program development at the local level to support health and wellness in our communities.”
Comments