Budget 2018: Opioid crisis funding, money for seniors’ health applauded

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – One of the highlights from today’s budget is an investment to help provinces fight the opioid crisis–something that’s hit BC particularly hard.

The feds are making a $231 million investment over five years to address the opioid crisis, more than double the $100-million promised last year. This will including a one-time immediate injection of $150 million for provinces and territories. The money will be divvied up according to which province needs it the most.

Research shows more than 4,000 people are expected to die this year across Canada as a result of opioids.

Vancouver City Councillor Kerry Jang is already questioning whether the funding is enough.

“Well, it’s good to see more money for the opioid crisis across the country. Whether or not that’s going to be enough remains to be seen.”

While he’s pleased some progress has been made in recent months, he says more policy changes are needed.

“What really needs to be done are major policy changes as to how we treat people with addictions, how we actually treat mental health and policies towards substitution therapies. I mean, you could put all the money in the world, but you could put it in the wrong place. You need the right type of policies,” he says.

“Not only just treatment on demand, but money to look at, for example, substitution therapies–a wider range of substitution therapies that’ll be covered by healthcare. Currently, a lot of the drugs we are asking for for the opioid crisis aren’t covered by provincial or federal monies. That’s what we absolutely need if we want to combat this crisis.”

Last year, $10 million came directly to BC, but Mental Health and Addictions Minister Judy Darcy says, it’s not clear yet how much new funding is coming here.

“We don’t know how much of that federal money will come to BC, but I would hope that it would be based on need and we have one third of the number of people who have died right across Canada–a full third. In BC last year, 1422 people lost their lives,” she says.

“We are seeing a slight leveling off, a slight decline in the last few months of 2017, but it’s far too early to tell what contributes to that. We know one death is too many and that we have to continue to escalate our response and we are doing that.”

She adds she hopes BC gets the resources that match the need.

“We’re leading the country in the number of people dying, but we have also led the country in how we’re responding to the overdose crisis. We are ramping up our response every single day to save lives and to connect people to treatment and recovery as soon as possible.”

BC’s Senior Advocate is also pleased to hear about the opioid funding, but Isobel Mackenzie is especially excited to see more funding to help people with dementia.

“Twenty million dollars over the next five years to look at providing supports in the community for those who care for people afflicted with dementia, so I think that’s important. Some of the tax breaks are going to be beneficial to seniors who have lower incomes on average than working Canadians,” says Mackenzie.

She says some tax breaks in today’s should help many retirees.

“There is a strong argument around things like raising the age at which you can no longer contribute to your RRSP, some of our tax measures and certainly, the issue around non-refundable tax credits which disproportionately favour people with higher incomes.”