Mental Health and Substance Use

Mental Health and Substance Use

Without massive reform, young people will continue to die preventable deaths.

 – Participant quote from virtual gatherings

Fatal overdoses from opioids and other illicit drugs continue to be the leading cause of death for youth aged 10 to 18 in British Columbia. Beyond the devastating toll of drug poisoning, young people are also experiencing profound grief and trauma as they lose friends, siblings, and parents to this crisis. The impact extends beyond individual tragedies as families are being torn apart, communities are struggling to respond, and young people are left without the support they need.

Too many lives lost,
Too much grief and loss

On average, 26 people under 19 years of age are dying due to the toxic drug crisis per year. Many other young people are losing their parents, siblings, friends, and caregivers due to overdoses. 

 

The following images are from Moms Stop the Harm, a network of Canadian families impacted by substance-use-related harms and deaths.

What RCY is Doing

Bringing people Together

In 2024 and 2025, RCY united people to spark collaboration, share knowledge, and drive action on the toxic drug crisis. No organization or ministry can solve this crisis alone. Young people, families, frontline workers, and policymakers across multiple sectors must work together for real change.

 

Through virtual and in-person convenings, RCY has created space for meaningful dialogue, problem-solving, and coordinated action to improve youth support.These convenings have identified key challenges, service gaps, and opportunities for change, building momentum toward a more coordinated, youth-centred response. The work does not stop when the meetings end. RCY’s convenings are  the foundation for ongoing advocacy, government engagement, and system-wide reform.

Helping One Person At a Time
Our Advocates are available to young people who are having challenges accessing supports and services related to their substance use issues. We’re here to listen and have young people's voices heard. 
Liam’s Story: Finding Support in a Time of Crisis
Liam, a 16-year-old from northern B.C., had been struggling with his substance use for over a year. When Liam finally reached out for support, he faced long wait times, inconsistent services, and a lack of youth-focused harm reduction options in his community.Feeling overwhelmed and unsure what to do next, Liam’s mother contacted our office. We were able to connect Liam with a youth A youth outreach worker, a mental health counsellor, and a youth-specific detox and stabilization program.

If you or someone you know is struggling, we are here to help. Contact Us
Sophia's Story: Finding Stability After Loss
Sophia was 14 when she lost both of her parents to drug poisoning within the same year. With no immediate family able to take her in, she was placed in government care. The sudden loss of her parents and the uncertainty of where she would live left her feeling alone, scared, and overwhelmed. She desperately wanted to live with her aunt but was initially prevented from doing so but with her help she was eventually able to be placed with her aunt and now has the stability and support she needs.

Calls to government

RCY will continue to make recommendations to government that will support young people at risk of involvement in the toxc drug crisis. See reports we have done and recommendations we have made: 

 

From Marginalized to Magnified, 2020

This report, while aimed to address the issue of youth homelessness, recognizes that communities across B.C. are confronted with the interconnected challenge of the toxic drug crisis, as youth reported addiction and mental health issues as key pathways into homelessness. Once homeless, there is a lack of support and services for young people facing addiction and therefore substance use can be viewed as a way to cope.

Time to Listen, 2018

The need for harm reduction to be a key component of this wrap-around system is among the recommendations in Time to Listen: Youth Voices on Substance Use, a report that offers the first-hand perspectives of 100 young people in B.C. with lived experience and also draws on lessons learned from an aggregate review of substance use-related injury and death reports received by RCY in 2017.

A Parent’s Responsibility, 2022

Young people in government care in comparable jurisdictions to British Columbia have dramatically higher rates of mental health disorders than the general population. The report is the first in a series of brief reports on mental health and wellness for children and youth. In A Parent’s Responsibility: Government’s obligation to improve the mental health outcomes of children in care, the Representative makes six recommendations to government to take action on these findings.

I wish I had known about where I could get help when this was happening to me, but I didn’t know help even existed.

Being forced into care made me lose trust in the system. I needed care that met me where I was at.

KEY STATISTICS

of youth who died had past or current involvement with child welfare

0 %

of young people who died had  mental health diagnosis

0

People die per day from toxic drugs

0 %

of young people who died had  mental health diagnosis

As the data above shows, substance use and mental health are closely linked.  Children and youth with a range of mental health illnesses such as depression or anxiety are more likely to use substances. Often, substances are used by youth to remain resilient and to be able to function in their lives.