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BC United leader Kevin Falcon was in Kelowna Monday to announce his government would bring in forced drug and mental health treatment in limited cases.
With an election looming in the fall, the leader of the Official Opposition launched his plan to “fix the drug crisis in the Okanagan.”
Alongside involuntary treatment, Falcon said BC United would build a 100-bed complex care mental health and addictions treatment centre in Kelowna, modelled on the Red Fish Healing Centre at Riverview. The centre would provide stays of up to two years.
A BC United government also would end the province’s now-scaled-back decriminalization pilot project.
“When people want treatment, they need it immediately. Recovery can lift people from social isolation, poverty, and self-destruction – while helping them rebuild careers and restore relationships with their friends and families,” said BC United leader Kevin Falcon.
“A BC United government will ensure that people who need treatment are able to receive compassionate treatment when they need it, but when they cannot make that decision for themselves, we need to ensure we have tools to keep residents safe through the use of involuntary treatment.”
Falcon says the involuntary care system would be for homeless residents, explaining that it is not compassionate to leave people on the streets being preyed on by drug dealers.
The concept of involuntary drug treatment has been batted around in B.C. politics for years now. The surging BC Conservative party have made it a part of their platform and the governing BC NDP have publicly considered it.
In 2022, the BC NDP scrapped a plan to force youth to undergo treatment for up to seven days after an overdose over concerns about holding Indigenous youth against their will.
Premier David Eby, when he was seeking the leadership of the party, said involuntary care should be considered. He slowly walked back the proposal over several months, taking the idea off the table at the end of 2023.
On Monday, Falcon was joined by his local slate of candidates and outgoing Kelowna-Mission MLA Renee Merrifield.
“Innovative models like the Red Fish Healing Centre treat patients with severe and complex mental health and addictions in a caring and compassionate way,” said Merrifield.
“The Red Fish Healing Centre project was started by a BC United government, and it is exactly the type of facility we need in the Okanagan – and across different regions in B.C. – to ensure we get people the help they need.”
Falcon is spending much of the week in the Okanagan. He will be meeting with farmers on Tuesday and will hold a public town hall meeting on Wednesday.
