Claire Rattée MLA for Skeena, and Critic For Mental Health and Addictions, is urging the provincial government to address the growing overdose crisis in Terrace, which has one of the highest rates of overdose deaths in British Columbia. She criticized the government’s investment in safe supply programs while the community still lacks a fully funded detox and treatment center. Rattée emphasized that Indigenous people in northern B.C. are particularly at risk, with overdose death rates nearly six times higher than the general population.
Rattée argued that detox without proper support is ineffective, leaving individuals vulnerable to relapse and overdose. She pointed out that despite more than a decade of requests for a treatment center in Terrace, the government has not provided the necessary resources. Indigenous leaders in the region have been clear in their calls for culturally sensitive treatment programs with wraparound support services.
In response, Minister of Health Josie Osborne acknowledged the need for more resources in rural and Indigenous communities, highlighting the government’s ongoing efforts to expand treatment beds and mental health programs. However, she admitted that more work needs to be done to ensure that people in remote northern communities have access to the full range of recovery services.
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