The British Columbia School Trustees Association (BCSTA) represents the boards of education that govern British Columbia’s 60 public school districts, serving over 550,000 students. The BCSTA unequivocally supports strong drug prevention education in BC schools, and our position on substance education is grounded in formal policy and the motions adopted by our membership at our Annual General Meetings.
BC schools currently deliver substance education through established curriculum, and educators work diligently to support student safety and well-being. At our 2025 AGM, trustees passed a motion to advocate for a fully funded review and revision of substance education curriculum in response to the ongoing opioid crisis. Similarly, a 2023 AGM motion requests the provincial government work with Indigenous partners, education groups and those with lived experiences to develop and implement provincial guidance for substance education and guidelines for opioid overdose response in schools. Both motions reflect trustees’ commitment to ensuring education evolves to address this public health challenge. Effective drug prevention education must clearly teach students about the serious dangers of drug use and provide them with the skills to avoid drugs, recognize warning signs, and seek help, all essential to addressing the public health emergency impacting youth across British Columbia.
While we share the stated objectives of Bill M 213 to protect students from substance use harms, BCSTA has serious concerns about provisions in the bill that contradict public health evidence.
Section 3(c) mandates a curriculum that “promotes stigma against drug use as a deterrent.” Research consistently demonstrates that stigma-based approaches do not prevent drug use, but instead, prevent young people from seeking help and prevents them from confiding in adults. when they or their peers are in crisis. Public health organizations, addiction medicine specialists, and the BC Centre on Substance Use universally oppose stigma-based prevention strategies. Our long-standing Policy 4.2.4 P on Substance Misuse Prevention, adopted by our members, emphasizes evidence-based, trauma-informed curriculum and expert guidance.
Students deserve age-appropriate substance prevention education that explicitly teaches the serious health, social, and legal risks of substance use while creating safe environments where they trust adults to seek help. These are not opposing goals, but are essential to keeping young people safe. Between 2014 and 2024, the BC Coroner reported over 205 youth aged 0-18 who have tragically lost their lives due to the opioid crisis. This crisis demands a comprehensive, collaborative, non-partisan response that is grounded in evidence. We believe any legislative approach to substance education should align with what research shows protects students. For these reasons, BCSTA respectfully opposes Bill M 213 as currently drafted and urges all MLAs to support evidence-based approaches to substance education that align with what research shows will genuinely protect students.
Boards of education govern public education in the best interests of students. Our policy positions on substance education reflect careful consideration, expert input, and the lived experience in communities across British Columbia directly impacted by the overdose crisis.
Please contact Monique Atwal, Manager of Advocacy and Public Relations at matwal@bcsta.org for any questions or media inquiries.