Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In yesterday's auditor general report, it became clear that we have to make sure there is coordination in our response to the substance abuse issues in this territory. And I think one of the clear lines of coordination is of the RCMP's role. But I think before we even have that conversation, we have to make sure we're on the same page.
So my question for the Minister of Health and Social Services is does she believe that our response to substance abuse issues is first and foremost a health issue and not a criminal one? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you for the question.
There's obviously an overlapping responsibility here where Justice is primarily responsible for what's criminal and how to enforce that, and Health and Social Services is responsible for what is a health issue and how to respond to that. So the change yesterday doesn't address the primary concern of health which safe supply of illicit drugs, the amount of drugs, and whether they qualify as possession or should be seized is really a Justice issue. Thank you.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I have asked these questions of Justice before. Today I directed them to Health because the decision ultimately made was by the BC public health asking for an exemption to the federal Minister of Health.
And so my question for our Minister of Health is does she agree with the Canadian Association of Police Chiefs, 60 percent of the Canadian public, the overwhelming amount of public health officials, the federal Minister of Health, the BC Minister of Health, and really anyone who has worked on the front lines, that decriminalization is a step that saves lives and is a tool we need to use in our fight against substance abuse? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can't offer an opinion on that. This is a first in Canada, the decriminalization of the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs. We're very interested in seeing what comes of this in BC. And of course because the toll of overdose deaths has been so huge in BC, we are hoping that it is successful in helping people to address the stigma of receiving treatment for illicit drug use. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I heard the Minister of Health say in her first response that one of the key things to a health response is safe supply. And this was fundamental and essential to BC being granted this. I know Yukon has implemented similar safe supply work. I'm wondering if the Department of Health has any plans to address safe supply here in our territory? Thank you.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that the situation is very different in the Yukon. They have declared a public health emergency around overdose deaths following a series of deaths right after the New Year. We had three overdose deaths in the NWT in the first three quarters of last year. And three is too many. But compared to the toll that alcohol takes on people in the NWT, alcohol is a much more significant problem, and it's the one that we are addressing with the development of the territorial alcohol strategy. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am well aware that alcohol is of a primary concern and issue to our substance abuse issues. But I think absent action now, we will find ourselves in a similar situation to the Yukon in the years to come. We have seen increasing drug use and many people on the front lines speak to that regularly.
But my question for the Minister of Health is BC in granting this or in receiving this application, the federal Minister of Health said this is really a template for how to respond to substance abuse issues. So I'm wondering if the Minister of Health will commit to looking at that application and looking at the federal guidelines that they put on BC in regards to reporting into tracking this. I want to at least make sure we are aware of what's going on in this area, because much of the data that BC was required to track is similar to what our own auditor general has asked us to track. So if the Minister of Health could at least commit to look at the application and see what we could learn from that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the suggestion and I'm prepared to take it. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
