Crisis fund to tackle ODs

Photo: Contributed

Premier John Horgan is promising swift action in the face of B.C.'s overdose crisis.

Speaking at the close of the Union of BC Municipalities convention in Vancouver Friday morning, Horgan announced the province is launching a $322-million community crisis fund, and scaling up rapid access to addiction treatment.

Horgan said people are losing loved ones, while families, communities and front-line workers are carrying an enormous load. He says it's time those people receive the support they need.

The OD crisis was declared a public health emergency last year as four people, on average, are dying each day, most often from street drugs containing fentanyl.

The government says the new initiatives will focus on harm reduction, outreach and help for people who need it most. The measures include:

• Community crisis innovation fund
• Scaling up rapid-access community treatment
• Broader access to no-cost naloxone kits
• Support for those on the front lines
• Public awareness campaign

The government will also provide more than $31 million over the next three years for enforcement to try and cut off the supply of fentanyl.

The BC Coroners Service says 876 people have died due to drug overdoses in the province this year. Fentanyl has been detected in 81 per cent of those.