FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 19, 2026
BC Greens call for stronger action alongside Province’s nasal naloxone announcement
VICTORIA, B.C. – The BC Green Caucus welcomes the BC NDP’s $50 million investment in nasal naloxone as a positive and necessary step in addressing the toxic drug crisis.
“Nasal naloxone will save lives. It is particularly helpful for British Columbians who are hesitant or unable to inject naloxone in an emergency,” said Jeremy Valeriote, MLA for West Vancouver–Sea to Sky. “Making overdose reversal more accessible is critical.”
However, the BC Greens are calling on the Province to follow through on its commitment to support Canadians and strengthen domestic supply chains by sourcing nasal naloxone from Canadian manufacturers.
Vancouver-based Fair Price Pharma has developed a nasal naloxone product that can be manufactured domestically at roughly half the cost of U.S. suppliers. With provincial support, the company could seek approval from Health Canada and stretch public dollars further while building domestic pharmaceutical capacity.
Valeriote emphasized that, “While expanding naloxone access is important, it does not address the root cause of the crisis: a poisoned and unregulated drug supply.”
According to the government’s own data, fewer than one per cent of people who use drugs in B.C. have access to safe supply. The Chief Coroner’s Death Review Panel has urged the Province to expand safe supply through medical prescribing and compassion club models. These recommendations have yet to be implemented at scale.
“We cannot continue responding to a deadly emergency with half measures,” added Valeriote. “The gap between the scale of the crisis and the scale of the response is staggering. If this government truly wants to save lives, it must support domestic pharmaceutical production, and expand regulated alternatives to replace the toxic illicit drugs that are killing British Columbians every day.”
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Media Contact
Ryan Hook
Press Secretary
BC Green Caucus
+1-250-882-6187 | Ryan.hook@leg.bc.ca