It's a “pay now or pay later” scenario. And what is the cost of a life? When we reduce these things to what will it cost and we look at the human cost, six people a day in British Columbia are losing their lives. I think that if there are alternatives that can protect the public from diversion, make sure that we're ramping up things like prevention strategies and actually warning people that it is not safe to take other people's medication and actually safeguarding the public.... Of course, we need to invest in a whole scope of services, but also in social supports, housing, things to help people become stable so that if they do access medical programs they have the social stability to maintain their use of those programs.
On May 9th, 2024. See this statement in context.