VANCOUVER: A panel of officials at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities conference in Vancouver expressed their concerns over the province's current addiction and mental health-related policies.They suggested different strategies needed to be explored to properly address everything from the root causes of addiction and drug trafficking to support for those with substance abuse conditions.The panel featured the BC Association of Chiefs of Police Drug Advisory Committee's Inspector Phil Heard, Port Alberni City Councillor Deb Haggard, Fort St. John Chief Administrative Officer Milo Macdonald, Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas, and Vancouver Coastal Health Deputy Chief Medical Health Officer Mark Lysyshyn. .The panel kicked off with remarks from Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth. He admitted that the BC NDP's policies have failed addicts and non-addicts alike, noting that, "the current situation is not working for these people, and it’s not working for our communities.".BC NDP announces involuntary care program for those with severe addiction, mental illness.He went on to applaud the party for implementing new policies, namely the involuntary care program, which will permit those with severe addiction and mental illness to receive treatment at "highly secure regional facilities."Farnworth also called on the federal government to provide better security measures at BC's ports to prevent foreign drugs from entering the country, noting that as of now, nearly all the containers that come in are checked only briefly, if at all..Lysyshyn broke down the root causes of addiction, pointing out that traumatized people from marginalized communities and those whose family members suffer from substance abuse and mental health issues are more likely to turn to drugs as "maladaptive coping mechanisms.".He argued that addiction is a "collective problem," and thus, "requires a collective solution," including mental health services, addiction treatment services, and harm reduction services in the community.Lysyshyn also suggested that the latter two should not be viewed as mutually exclusive, pointing out that, "harm reduction services keep people alive so that they can be connected to treatment.".Macdonald took aim at decriminalization, arguing it needed to be rolled back "to a considerable extent." As a former RCMP officer, he said the policy had "dramatically decreased [law enforcement's] ability to keep our communities safe.""We [in Fort St. John] spend well over $10 million on policing," he noted, "and we have seen the effectiveness of that investment sharply reduced with all of these policies around decriminalization." Dyas explained that much like in other major cities across the province, a small number of repeat offenders are involved in hundreds of interactions with police, depleting resources that could be spent elsewhere. He pushed back on the idea that housing was integral to solving the problem, pointing out that many of those who live on the street have rejected shelters due to the restrictions imposed therein.Haggard argued that politicians needed to step back and listen to experts when it came to developing and implementing the next round of policies.
VANCOUVER: A panel of officials at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities conference in Vancouver expressed their concerns over the province's current addiction and mental health-related policies.They suggested different strategies needed to be explored to properly address everything from the root causes of addiction and drug trafficking to support for those with substance abuse conditions.The panel featured the BC Association of Chiefs of Police Drug Advisory Committee's Inspector Phil Heard, Port Alberni City Councillor Deb Haggard, Fort St. John Chief Administrative Officer Milo Macdonald, Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas, and Vancouver Coastal Health Deputy Chief Medical Health Officer Mark Lysyshyn. .The panel kicked off with remarks from Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth. He admitted that the BC NDP's policies have failed addicts and non-addicts alike, noting that, "the current situation is not working for these people, and it’s not working for our communities.".BC NDP announces involuntary care program for those with severe addiction, mental illness.He went on to applaud the party for implementing new policies, namely the involuntary care program, which will permit those with severe addiction and mental illness to receive treatment at "highly secure regional facilities."Farnworth also called on the federal government to provide better security measures at BC's ports to prevent foreign drugs from entering the country, noting that as of now, nearly all the containers that come in are checked only briefly, if at all..Lysyshyn broke down the root causes of addiction, pointing out that traumatized people from marginalized communities and those whose family members suffer from substance abuse and mental health issues are more likely to turn to drugs as "maladaptive coping mechanisms.".He argued that addiction is a "collective problem," and thus, "requires a collective solution," including mental health services, addiction treatment services, and harm reduction services in the community.Lysyshyn also suggested that the latter two should not be viewed as mutually exclusive, pointing out that, "harm reduction services keep people alive so that they can be connected to treatment.".Macdonald took aim at decriminalization, arguing it needed to be rolled back "to a considerable extent." As a former RCMP officer, he said the policy had "dramatically decreased [law enforcement's] ability to keep our communities safe.""We [in Fort St. John] spend well over $10 million on policing," he noted, "and we have seen the effectiveness of that investment sharply reduced with all of these policies around decriminalization." Dyas explained that much like in other major cities across the province, a small number of repeat offenders are involved in hundreds of interactions with police, depleting resources that could be spent elsewhere. He pushed back on the idea that housing was integral to solving the problem, pointing out that many of those who live on the street have rejected shelters due to the restrictions imposed therein.Haggard argued that politicians needed to step back and listen to experts when it came to developing and implementing the next round of policies.
