Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

GIESBRECHT -- Harm reduction strategies should be part of a broader more holistic strategy

 


The ongoing debate surrounding British Columbia’s approach to drug addiction treatment, particularly its emphasis on harm reduction, has become increasingly contentious. While proponents of harm reduction argue  it aims to minimize the negative consequences of drug use without necessarily requiring abstinence—through measures like safe injection sites and the provision of safe supply drugs such as prescription heroin— this strategy is clearly falling short.

The alarming statistics speak for themselves with overdose deaths in B.C. skyrocketing from around 200 per year in the early 2000s to over 2,500 in 2023. This troubling trend suggests harm reduction alone is not sufficient to address the growing opioid crisis. Despite the extensive implementation of harm reduction policies, the continued rise in overdose deaths indicates these measures may not adequately tackle the root causes of addiction or provide a clear path to recovery.

The absolute failure of the so-called ‘safe supply’ needs to be curtailed immediately. The NDP and Dr. Bonnie Henry’s own reports likened the program to ‘handing out cash to users’— of course the David Eby government attempted to bury this report.

Moreover, some critics argue that while harm reduction strategies prevent certain immediate harms, these strategies inadvertently perpetuate addiction by not placing enough emphasis on treatment and recovery.

There is a growing call for a full four pillars approach that integrates harm reduction with robust addiction treatment services, prevention programs and giving police effective tools to actually make an impact.

We are nearly a decade into this crisis and are still not taking a comprehensive approach. Such a comprehensive strategy could more effectively address both the immediate risks of drug use and the long-term goal of helping individuals achieve recovery and reintegration into society.

While harm reduction plays a crucial role in preventing deaths and managing public health, it should be part of a broader, more holistic strategy that includes prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Without this balance, the risks perpetuating the cycle of addiction and overdose deaths continue.

 

 

Dennis Giesbrecht is the Conservative Party of BC candidate for Kamloops North Thompson.

https://www.conservativebc.ca/dennis

 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Budget 2027: After a Decade of Decline, NDP Budget Delivers an Assault on Seniors, Working Families, and Small Businesses

Peter Milobar, BC Conservative Finance Critic, condemned the NDP government’s latest budget as the result of a decade of decline that has left British Columbians broke, unsafe, and paying more for less.   “After ten years of NDP mismanagement, this budget is an assault on seniors, working families, and the small businesses that drive our economy,” said Milobar. “The NDP have turned their back on the people working hardest to make ends meet and the seniors who built this province.” Milobar pointed to a new $1.1 billion annual income tax increase and warned that the government is piling new costs onto households already struggling with affordability.   “This government keeps asking British Columbians for more, while delivering less,” Milobar said. “The question people are asking is simple: Where has all the money gone?” Milobar noted that BC has gone from a surplus in the first year of NDP government to a projected deficit of more than $13 billion this year, while prov...
Post a Comment
Read more

WARD STAMER -- Those are REAL forestry numbers, not just made-up numbers

The following is a condensed version of remarks Kamloops – North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer’s made, regarding Forestry, in the BC Legislature, on Tuesday afternoon (02/24/2026)   Let’s talk a little bit, when we talk about Budget 2026, about the forest industry, which is near and dear to my heart. Forestry remains one of British Columbia’s foundational industries. It’s a pillar that built this province. Entire communities depend upon it. Interior towns, northern communities, Vancouver Island regions, the Kootenays, the Lower Mainland, with manufacturing facilities in Surrey and Maple Ridge, just to name a few — everywhere in BC is touched by forestry. One word that was not mentioned in Budget 2026 was forestry. That’s a shame, an incredible shame. It wasn’t an oversight – it was intentional. This government has driven forestry into the ground .... INTO THE GROUND! We can talk a little bit about some of the initiatives that this government has brought forth, to try to resurrect ...
Post a Comment
Read more

FORSETH -- Before anyone gets excited about one poll showing a candidate with a 25 percent lead, and 44 percent support overall, let’s give it a few more weeks

Is this based in reality -- how accurate are the numbers? In the past couple of weeks a couple of candidates, for the leadership of the BC Conservative Party, have been presenting polling results that they lead the pack – one even going so far as to say they have a lock on 44% of those who will be voting, and a twenty-five percent lead over the individual ranked second. I am going to say that this one, from Kerry-Lynne Findlay, is highly suspect. First of all the company conducting the poll, ERG National Research, is not a Member of Industry Bodies (the Canadian Research Insights Council), meaning they do not adhere to established industry standards for research, such as transparency, privacy, and methodological rigor. AI Overview states that ... based on alerts from the Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC) and reports, ERG National Research should be treated with extreme caution regarding its reliability, and legitimacy, in conducting political polling. Before I even read this in...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more