MP Jenny Kwan Statement on the 10th Anniversary of Public Health Emergency Declaration
On this tragic 10th anniversary of the toxic-drug public-health emergency, it is important to reflect on the profound and ongoing loss felt in communities across British Columbia and Canada. For a decade, families have endured unimaginable grief as loved ones were taken by an increasingly toxic and unpredictable drug supply. These were not just statistics, but people with hopes, histories and futures that mattered deeply.
This crisis has laid bare systemic inequities—poverty, trauma, inadequate housing, racism and stigma—that continue to drive vulnerability and prevent people from accessing the care they need. While harm-reduction measures and treatment services have saved lives, far too many are still being lost to preventable deaths.
We must confront this emergency with urgency, compassion and evidence-based action. That means expanding access to a safe, regulated supply, strengthening culturally appropriate supports, and ensuring treatment and recovery services are available without barriers. It also requires listening to those with lived and living experience and working in true partnership with Indigenous communities. For the Downtown Eastside, I would also advocate for a new Vancouver Agreement where all three levels of government, health authority and Vancouver Police Department are at the table with community leadership.
Today, we honour those we have lost and stand with all who continue to fight for change. We cannot accept this as the status quo. Just as when a public health emergency was declared in the 1990's related to heroin overdose death leading to government action, we must act urgently.
