Terrace BC has one of the highest rates of deaths in the province due to the toxic-drug crisis, with 98.7 deaths per 100,000 in 2023 and Indigenous people are almost six times more likely to die from illicit drug poisoning.
In response to this crisis, the First Nations Health Authority drafted a proposal for a detox facility in Terrace in June of 2023 which they presented to the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions. Together, the Northern First Nations Alliance, Northern Health Authority, First Nations Health Authority and Province created The Working Group, a task force whose main job was to address this health crisis in the north head-on.
Minister Jennifer Whiteside is the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions in BC and represents one of the four partners in The Working Group. Minister Whiteside commented on the need to address the toxic drug overdose crisis and how working with the FNHA and NFNA informed those plans using culturally appropriate care.
Listen to the full interview with Minister Whiteside and Breanna Innes.
