BC Conservatives announce drug crisis plan which includes involuntary treatment

One of the major issues in the upcoming election is how the Province will take on the toxic drug crisis in BC, for which there has been a public health emergency since 2016. 

Since that time, at least 15,100 British Columbians have lost their lives to toxic drugs. 

According to the Conservative Party of BC, the BC NDP have not been addressing this matter properly. 

However, when the public health emergency was declared, the province was helmed by the BC Liberal Party and the Conservatives leader, John Rustad was an elected MLA for the Liberals.

The BC Conservatives have now outlined their plan, ‘BC Recovers’ to tackle this crisis if they are elected. 

They say they would focus on prevention by putting an end to the Province’s efforts at decriminalization as well as any sort of access to safe supply within BC.

Additionally, the Tories would appoint an Addictions Specialist with cross-ministerial powers to take the reins on the crisis. 

The Conservatives’ approach to harm reduction would be quite different to the BC NDP’s. 

They say they would increase accountability for overdose prevention sites under a strict code of conduct, make safe consumption sites focussed on providing a road to treatment and funding abstinence-based treatment and recovery programs. 

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This approach to harm reduction in the Conservatives plan directly contradicts several statements made by Rustad in which he said he would do away with all safe consumption sites. 

For treatment and recovery, the Tories plan would see Provincial investments go toward cutting down wait times at treatment centres, people with substance-use issues be able to access treatment when admitted to hospitals or taken into custody. 

Additionally, they say they attempt to remove financial barriers to treatment and replace safe supply with treatment medications for those in recovery. 

Of note, several aspects of this facet of the plan are already carried out by the BC NDP, such as the Conservatives saying they would prioritize supportive housing that provides treatment to residents. 

In terms of intervention, the Conservatives say they would enact “Christian’s Law” which would force people into involuntary treatment and build housing for those with complex needs that have arisen due to traumatic brain injuries caused by substance-use. 

Recently, Premier Eby announced the BC NDP would expand the Province’s involuntary care program for people with mental health and addictions issues, should they win the upcoming election.

The BC Green Party released a statement following the Conservative’s announcement that is critical of the means of the BC Recovers. 

“The BC Conservatives mental health platform released today is a masterclass in cruelty disguised as care. Their ‘BC Recovers’ plan claims to be ‘grounded in compassion and science,’ but it delivers neither,” said Sonia Furstenau, Leader of the BC Greens. 

“John Rustad offers a plan that plays on people’s fears and frustrations, but it won’t fix anything. All he knows how to do is break things and then complain when they’re broken.”

She added that the plan doesn’t properly address the root causes of intersecting crises—rising homelessness, untreated mental health issues or the deadly toxic drug supply.

“Rustad, who was an MLA when Riverview was closed with no plan for replacement, helped create the very conditions that led to this crisis,” Furstenau said in reference to a mental health facility in Coquitlam. 

“He was in cabinet when the BC Liberals fought teachers all the way to the Supreme Court to deprive them of funding for Educational Assistants and mental health counsellors—a battle they eventually lost.”

The BC Greens have already revealed their plan for how to address the toxic drug crisis. 

As of this publication, the BC NDP have not responded to Rustad’s BC Recovers plan.