BC Government to Partner With the Vancouver Canucks on Drug Abuse
-
Share on Facebook
-
Share on Bluesky
-
Share on X
- Copy Link
The Vancouver Canucks hockey team and the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions are joining together to combat stigma around substance use, so that people can feel safe accessing the treatment and supports they need.
“Stigma around addiction is killing people,” said Judy Darcy, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “Addiction is often a response to deep pain or trauma, and stigma drives our loved ones to act and live in dark silence. We need to knock down the walls of silence and encourage courageous conversations between friends, family and co-workers struggling with substance use, so they feel supported in seeking treatment and recovery.”
The public awareness campaign discredits false stereotypes by showing that addiction can affect people from all walks of life. It serves as a call to action for all British Columbians to stop seeing addiction as a moral failure and start seeing it as a health issue that deserves compassion and support.
“There are multiple studies showing how stigma associated with drug use drives people to use alone or in settings where people may be unwilling to call 911 for emergency assistance,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry, incoming provincial health officer. “In order to encourage people to reach out for help – stigma, guilt and shame must be removed from the equation.”
