An Profound Call to Action: Establish a Dedicated Drug Treatment Service in British Columbia

British Columbia stands at one of the critical point in its history. Our province faces one of North America's most severe addiction crises, with overdose deaths reaching unprecedented levels and thousands of lives lost.

More than 14,000 human lost their lives in our province since the 2016 state of emergency declaration.

Behind each statistic is a human story—a parent, sibling, child, friend, or neighbor trapped in a cycle that current systems have failed to break.

Fentanyl (including a tested and uncontaminted Fentanyl) causes intense euphoria, rapid addiction, depression, unconsciousness and premature death due to a declined overall health.

It devastates mental health crisis, impacts social lives, fuels homelessness, and overwhelms emergency systems.

Far too many people are left untreated, unsupported, and are in need of URGENT support.

It’s time for a bold, compassionate, and comprehensive response.

We call upon the Government of British Columbia to create a provincial Drug Treatment Service (DTS)—a system that fully complies with human rights (including Canadian charter of right) while offering structured intervention, evidence-based treatment, and a clear path to recovery and reintegration.

 

A Legal and Humane Model

Individuals suffering from severe addiction—including those who are unable to seek help voluntarily due to impaired judgment and life-threatening drug dependency will be transferred to drug rehabilitation centre by DTS.

The proposed DTS would provide legally authorized, court-reviewed intervention options for our community members in need.

If the legal and science-based treatments or interventions are declined by our community members in need of help, they will spend a period of time prescribed by healthcare authorities in the rehabilitation facility under a control environment with all the care and facilities needed in place, in order to reduce the drug abuse tensity, prevent the overdose and help recovering mental health well-being.

These interventions would operate under strict compliance with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Health Canada inspection and third-party audits ensuring all actions respect individual dignity, autonomy, and legal protections.

 

This is not about punishment, it is about offering life-saving, trauma-informed care in a controlled, medically supervised environment where healing becomes possible.

 

 

Within the DTS Holistic and Evidence-Based Recovery, individuals would receive:

1) Medical evaluation of physical health status

2) Psychiatric assessment for co-occurring mental health conditions

3) Safe detoxification and withdrawal management

4) Personalized treatment plans that address both substance dependency and co-occurring mental health conditions

5) Trauma screening and evaluation

6) Nutritional and physiologic assessment and support

7) Legal situation review and support needs identification

8) Physical rehabilitation

9) Dental care services

 

This is a centralized place where people are not criminalized for their addiction, but cared for, stabilized, and given a real chance at long-term recovery.

Economic Reintegration: Path Beyond Survival

Recovery doesn’t end at detox. To prevent relapse and foster independence, we ask for a Post-Treatment Economic Reintegration program that includes:

1) Public-private co-op employment programs

2) Skills in-demand training programs

3) Special hiring programs and incentivized hiring for employers who support clients of DTS

This economic measures helps to transform recovery into empowerment by helping individuals rebuild their lives with purpose, confidence, and economic stability.

 

A New Future for British Columbia

We must stop treating addiction as a personal failing. It is a public health crisis that demands bold solutions grounded in compassion, science, and human rights.

The DTS represents a future where no one is abandoned, where treatment is accessible, and where recovery is not just possible—but fully supported.

Current system is resulted in death of hundreds of people each year while the crisis situation is worsening each year.

Sign the petition today to help launch a Drug Treatment Service in British Columbia—because every life is worth as a world and recovery is everyone’s right.