Improving Substance Use Care and Prevention in BC - A policy paper by Doctors of BC 2024

Our 2009 policy paper, Stepping Forward: Improving Addiction Care in British Columbia, outlined Doctors of BC’s position on substance use care. While many of the calls to action in that paper still apply, the substance use landscape has shifted dramatically since 2009. Widespread access to quality care remains limited, and health outcomes for harmful substance use continue to deteriorate. As such, this paper builds on our 2009 policy paper and expands on its recommendations to build a better substance use system of care that reduces stigma, prevents, or minimizes substance use harms, and enables all British Columbians to access the care and services they need when and where they need it.