FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
10 years of death: BC Greens mark tragic 10-year anniversary of public health emergency, call for action
April 14, 2026
VICTORIA, B.C. — The BC Greens are marking ten years since British Columbia’s Provincial Health Officer declared a public health emergency in response to rising overdose deaths, and are calling on the government to take evidence-based action to address the ongoing crisis.
“The government declared this an emergency—it’s time they acted like it. More than 18,000 people have died due to the toxic drug supply in the past decade. These numbers represent far more than statistics—each death is a brother, a sister, a parent, a friend or neighbour. The scale of loss from this preventable tragedy is appalling,” said Jeremy Valeriote, MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky.
In the past year alone, the B.C. government has ended decriminalization and advanced involuntary treatment, while voluntary treatment services remain under-resourced and under-regulated.
“The Province needs to be guided by evidence—not policy-by-polling. We need to expand harm reduction measures that save lives from the unregulated drug supply. Instead, we’re seeing this government backtrack on proven policies,” said Valeriote. ““This government has shown it will not listen to the evidence—or its own experts. Every death in this crisis is a policy choice. This province once led the way on harm reduction. Now, it is failing to show the leadership needed to save lives.”
B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, has criticized the rollback of decriminalization and the politicization of the crisis. Former Chief Coroner Lisa LaPointe has called for broader drug policy reform, including regulated alternatives. And B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner, Kasari Govender, is clear: this is a human rights crisis—driven by toxic supply and structural inequality—that disproportionately harms marginalized communities.
“The BC Greens will continue to advocate for evidence-based solutions to this crisis to prevent further loss of life.” Valeriote added. “That means expanding voluntary, community-based treatment, providing regulated pharmaceutical alternatives, and establishing consistent, evidence-based standards of care across the province.”
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Media Contact
Ryan Hook
Press Secretary
BC Green Caucus
+1-250-882-6187 | Ryan.hook@leg.bc.ca