How BC Can Use $3.6 Billion Over 18 Years to Heal

Planning Ahead: How BC Can Use $3.6 Billion Over 18 Years to Heal Communities

British Columbia has received its first installment of $936 million from the $3.6 billion tobacco settlement. This is a huge opportunity—but without a long-term plan, the money risks being wasted. Here’s a strategic framework to ensure every dollar saves lives, empowers communities, and builds lasting wellness.

Phase 1: Immediate Action (Years 1–3) – Stabilize & Support

Goal: Save lives and reduce harm immediately.

• Expand wellness and detox programs with trauma-informed care.
• Increase safe housing and transitional spaces for youth and elders.
• Fund harm reduction programs, including supervised consumption, overdose prevention, and Fentanyl testing kits.
• Establish community oversight boards to ensure accountability from the start.

Budget Allocation: ~20–25% of annual funds.

Phase 2: Mid-Term Action (Years 4–10) – Build Community & Purpose

Goal: Empower people with purpose, skills, and support systems.

• Launch tiny house projects and community gardens.
• Fund job training, apprenticeships, and creative programs (art, music, bike repair, gardening).
• Provide mental health services, grief counseling, and wellness coaching for youth, adults, and elders.
• Develop preventive programs in schools and neighborhoods to reduce future addiction risks.

Budget Allocation: ~35–40% of annual funds.

Phase 3: Long-Term Action (Years 11–18) – Sustain & Expand

Goal: Make BC a model for holistic wellness and recovery.

• Scale successful programs province-wide.
• Fund research into mental health, addiction recovery, and alternative wellness strategies.
• Invest in community infrastructure: bike paths, gardens, creative spaces, wellness hubs.
• Establish endowments for ongoing funding, ensuring programs remain sustainable after 18 years.

Budget Allocation: ~35–40% of annual funds.

Key Principles for the 18-Year Plan

• Transparency: All funds tracked and publicly reported.
• Community-Led: Decisions guided by people with lived experience.
• Wellness-Focused: Programs emphasize life quality, purpose, and recovery, not just detox or pills.
• Youth & Elders Priority: Both groups disproportionately affected by addiction, isolation, and mental illness.
• Prevention + Recovery: Immediate harm reduction combined with long-term lifestyle, community, and employment initiatives.

Why This Matters

$3.6 billion over 18 years can either save lives and transform communities or be wasted on bureaucracy and corporate profiteering. A phased, accountable approach ensures each year builds toward a BC that values wellness, hope, and resilience. The choices we make today determine the health and future of our youth, elders, and communities.

Call to Action

To decision-makers: Use this money to heal, inspire, and save lives. Prioritize wellness, housing, youth protection, and community-led programs.
To the people: Stay engaged, demand transparency, and support initiatives that put human life first. Together, we can turn blood money into a lasting legacy of healing.