Brief to the Standing Committee on Health – Committee Study on “Opioid Epidemic and Toxic Drug Crisis in Canada”

It is false to claim that British Columbia – or any other region in Canada – has a policy to provide children with recreational fentanyl. Clinical resources have been developed to help protect all people – adults and youth alike – from the deadly unregulated drug supply that is central driver of toxic drug deaths. Missed amongst all the misinformation being trafficked on this topic is the reality that young people have very little access to youth-focused services that appropriately meet their needs. If this committee is truly committed to identifying solutions to address the ongoing and worsening toxic drug poisoning emergency that has touched every community in this country, we hope its members will also consider the needs of young people and that those considerations are based on evidence, clinical expertise, and lived experience.