VICTORIA – More than ten years after B.C. declared the toxic drug crisis a public health emergency, approximately 223 young people under the age of 19 have died from unregulated drug toxicity.
On International Overdose Awareness Day, B.C.’s Representative for Children and Youth is calling for greater urgency in addressing the many ways this crisis is harming children, youth, families and communities.
“Approximately 223 young people have died. That number should stop every one of us in our tracks,” said Dr. Jennifer Charlesworth, B.C.’s Representative for Children and Youth. “These were children with names, relationships, hopes and futures. Their deaths were not inevitable, and we cannot allow such profound loss to become familiar or acceptable.”
The number of deaths tells only part of the story. Young people are also surviving drug poisonings with serious and sometimes permanent injuries. Some experience violence or exploitation connected to the unregulated drug supply. Many more are grieving the deaths of parents, caregivers, siblings and friends.
Not every young person harmed by toxic drugs has an ongoing substance-use concern. Some may be trying a substance for the first time. Others may be experimenting or using occasionally, as young people have done across generations. They may not know what a substance contains or how potent it is. With today’s unpredictable, unregulated supply, a single exposure can be fatal.
“We have to move past the assumption that only young people with an addiction are at risk,” Charlesworth said. “A young person may be experimenting, trying something for the first time or taking what they believe is a completely different substance. They should not pay for that decision with their life.”
The Representative says telling young people not to use drugs is not enough. They need accurate, practical information about the risks, how to respond to a drug poisoning and where to seek help. They also need adults they can turn to without fear of punishment, rejection or shame.
Substance use is often connected to trauma, grief, mental health challenges, violence, exploitation or disconnection from family, culture and community. Other young people are simply experimenting. Each situation is different, and the response must begin by listening rather than judging.
“Shame does not keep young people safe. Silence does not keep them safe,” Charlesworth said. “Young people need adults who will tell them the truth, listen without judgment and remain connected to them, especially when they are struggling.”
The Representative has repeatedly called for a comprehensive and coordinated system of substance use services for young people. Access remains inconsistent, particularly in rural, remote and First Nations communities. Families continue to encounter wait lists, age restrictions, disconnected services and too few options before a young person reaches a crisis.
Young people need prevention, early intervention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery and grief support that is timely, culturally safe and available in their communities.
“Whether a young person is experimenting, using occasionally or living with a substance-use disorder, our responsibility is the same,” Charlesworth said. “We must keep them alive, help them heal and make sure they know we will not give up on them.”
On August 31, RCY encourages families, caregivers, educators and service providers to speak honestly with young people about the toxic and unpredictable drug supply. Knowing the risks, how to recognize and respond to a drug poisoning, and where to get help can save a life.
“Young people need more than our awareness. They need information, connection and action.” Said Charlesworth.
Resources
- Time to Listen: Youth Voices on Substance Use, Representative for Children and Youth
- With Open Arms: A Toolkit for Supportive Conversations about Substance Use, First Nations Health Authority
- Alternatives to Unregulated Drugs: Another Step in Saving Lives, Office of the Provincial Health Officer
- Moms Stop the Harm, a network supporting families affected by substance-use-related harms and deaths
The Representative for Children and Youth is an independent officer of the B.C. Legislature who supports children, youth, young adults and families who need help navigating child- and youth-serving systems and makes recommendations to improve those systems.
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Media contact:
Sara Darling
778 679 2588
