My heart goes out to the victims, families, and the entire Tumbler Ridge community. No family should ever have to endure the pain of losing a child to violence.

We are facing difficult questions as a society. Antidepressants have become the most widely prescribed class of mental health medications in Canada. Between 2020 and 2024, prescriptions increased from approximately 61.7 million to over 70 million — an 18% rise in just four years. 

To quote Dr. Peter Gotszche, Professor of Internal Medicine

“In 14 recent school shootings, the acts were committed by persons taking or withdrawing from psychiatric drugs”

We cannot afford secrecy when it comes to public health. Transparency is not anti-medicine. It is pro-safety. Families deserve full, balanced information about benefits, risks, withdrawal effects, and alternative approaches before decisions are made.

Madi’s Law represents a call for transparency and informed consent. If legislation aimed at ensuring clearer risk disclosure is ignored, people will understandably question why. Advocacy for informed consent is not an attack on mental health care — it is a demand for accountability and safety.

This is not about blame. It is about courage. If there are patterns worth investigating, we must investigate them openly. If there are risks that require stronger warnings or better monitoring, we must address them honestly.

Silence does not protect communities. Honest dialogue does.

We can support mental health, demand transparency, and protect public safety at the same time. Those goals are not in conflict. They are inseparable.

Let’s have the conversation — with compassion, with honesty and integrity.