Students at B.C. post-secondary institutions, including Okanagan College, will have access to additional supports to address substance use.
The provincial government is providing $400,000 to Changing the Culture of Substance Use, which is co-led by the Centre for Addictions Research of B.C. and the Canadian Mental Health Association.
“It is essential that we engage young people to help them avoid the destruction of substance abuse,” said Eric Foster, Vernon-Monashee MLA.
Okanagan College in Vernon will use its share of the funding to conduct a survey to assess campus culture related to alcohol and other drugs and look at the role of alcohol in sexual violence on campus.
“The primary purpose of this survey is to begin a stigma-free reflective dialogue around substance use and to hear students ideas’ on how Okanagan College, Vernon campus, can promote and maintain a healthy campus culture,” said Derrick Doige, a counsellor at the campus.