Statement from Minister of Health and Social Services and Justice Tracy-Anne McPhee, following her meetings with Minister Carolyn Bennett

Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee has made the following statement:

“I want to thank Dr. Carolyn Bennett, federal Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, for coming to the Yukon for in-person discussions on the impacts of the Substance Use Health Emergency here in the Yukon.

“During her visit, Minister Bennett emphasized the government’s commitment to provide funding to hire social workers, who can help people who use substances access supports. This is in addition to the federal government’s recent announcement of $144 million through Budget 2023 to help address harms related to substance use across Canada. These funds will help to improve health outcomes for people at risk of substance-related harms and overdose across the country as well as the territory.

“In January 2022, the Government of Yukon declared a Substance Use Health Emergency in response to the substance use-related harms in the territory. This declaration was a call to action for all governments, communities, organizations, partners, and Yukoners to do their part in preventing the next tragedy, and a commitment to a coordinated response.

“Sadly, our territory leads the country per capita with toxic illicit drug-related deaths. Every one of these deaths is a personal, human tragedy.

“Addressing the Substance Use Health Emergency is a top priority for our government, and I was glad to hear that Minister Bennett and the Government of Canada have a deep appreciation of the severity of the situation we face here in the Yukon. The life of even one Yukoner stolen by substance use is too many.

“The Yukon government’s 2023-24 Budget contains $25.7 million for Mental Wellness and Substance Use Services. This is in addition to funding to create a Mental Wellness Unit at Whitehorse General Hospital, $1 million to provide additional mental health supports for youth, $825,000 to improve the delivery of restorative justice programs, and $615,000 to provide supervised housing services for people involved in the justice system.

“Addressing the Substance Use Health Emergency will require the involvement of all Yukoners, as well as individuals at all levels of government. None of us are alone in this fight. I express my condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives as a result of this ongoing tragedy. Ours is a small, tight-knit Yukon community. Everyone has been touched in some way by the Substance Use Health Emergency. We commit to continuing to work in partnership with Yukoners to address the challenges of the Substance Use Health Emergency head on."