Re: “B.C. families say they’re kept out of addiction treatment,” April 13.
One trait that Judy Darcy has displayed during her time as minister of mental health and addictions is a willingness to listen — whether it be to people who use drugs, those in recovery, health providers, frontline workers, or parents like me, who’ve had experience trying to navigate the health system to support their child living with an addiction.
Many of the stories we tell have tragic ends. These stories aren’t easy to share, nor are they easy to hear.
I’ve been encouraged by the minister’s desire to seek out and listen to these stories, and I have hope this will translate into action. For me and my family, it is already too late. I lost my son to an overdose when we couldn’t help him get the care he needed.
For others, however, action informed by these stories, such as investing in health-care practitioner training, can have tangible outcomes that will support an effective system of care for everyone.
Leslie McBain
Moms Stop the Harm
and B.C. Centre on Substance Use
