July 5, 2024
Ep 511 - Drug Free Kids
Guest: Chantal Vallerand
By Stuart McNish
On Dec. 8, 2022, Jennifer Whiteside was appointed Minister for Mental Health and Addictions. At the time she said, "The premier has asked me to prioritize accelerating B.C.'s response to the illicit drug toxicity crisis. The premier has also asked me to expand new complex care, treatment, recovery, detox and after-care facilities across the province."
Months later, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control released its report showing that in 2022, overdoses from opioids and illicit drugs were now the leading cause of death for youth 10 to 18 years old. The minister issued a statement saying, "The toxic drug crisis continues to have a devastating impact on families and communities in B.C., and the impact on children, youth is heartbreaking."
These are hollow words to Garth Mullins, an organizer with the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, who said, "It seems to me that the minister’s job is to be the official mourner – someone who is there to cry publicly about the mass deaths but isn't empowered."
So where does a family turn when they need help? Chantal Vallerand, the executive director at Drug Free Kids Canada, says, "We know how difficult it is for families. Most don't know the boundaries of what they can and cannot say or do. We created Drug Free Kids to help parents facing the life and death reality of drugs where there is no margin for error."
We invited Vallerand to join us for a Conversation That Matters about resources and strategies that can and do help families address the growing drug crisis in Canada.
Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca
Conversations Live returns in September
