“I have a dead son. Would I have liked to force my child into care without his consent? No, I would have liked his consent. But I would like him alive, too.\u0022
Laws vary across Canada for what amounts to involuntary detox for minors who are sometimes detained through the emergency department following an overdose.
“They can’t buy, legally, cannabis or alcohol. But somehow, if they’re addicted to substances, it’s their right to stay stuck like that.” Figures from B.C.’s coroners service show 115 youth under age 19 have died of an overdose since April 2016. For those between the ages of 19 and 29, that number jumped to 1,311 deaths.
Grant Charles, an associate professor at the University of British Columbia’s school of social work, said all provinces except B.C., Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and the territories have laws governing the use of secure care, which is done through residential treatment centres, not hospitals, in most cases.Article content
“We have ideological arguments about abstract issues when we should be trying to keep young people alive.”Article content The aim is to develop guidelines that could be used nationally in keeping with various mental health laws around the country while encouraging more research, he said.