Province fights overdose crisis with community action teams

The B.C. government is sinking $1.5-million into the fight against the opioid crisis.

The province announced Thursday it is funding community action teams in 18 cities.

The program is part of its new Overdose Emergency Response Centre, unveiled in December.

"The role of the community action teams is to intervene early to provide support to people at risk of overdose before it's too late," said Mental Health and Addictions Minister Judy Darcy.

The program will focus on four key tasks: expanding harm reduction services, increasing the availability of Naloxone, addressing the unsafe drug supply and connecting people to support services for treatment options.

'Boots on the ground'

"Each community action team will play a crucial role in targeting resources where they're needed most," said Darcy, describing it as a "boots on the ground" effort.

The program will include representation from municipal governments, first responders, front-line community agencies local health authorities and Indigenous groups.

Communities receiving up $100,000 in one-time funding to create the teams include: Vancouver, Richmond, Powell River, Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford, Maple Ridge, Chilliwack, Victoria, Campbell River, Nanaimo, Duncan, Port Alberni, Kelowna, Kamloops, Vernon, Prince George and Fort St. John.

News of the program comes a day after the B.C. Coroners Service revealed a record number of overdose deaths in 2017.