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If you are in need of immediate help, call 9-1-1.

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1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or 9-8-8

​Call 1-800-784-2433 or dial 9-8-8 if you are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including thoughts of suicide

310 Mental Health Support

310-6789 (NO AREA CODE)

Call for emotional support, information and resources specific to mental health.

Opioid Treatment Access Line

1-833-804-8111

Call for same-day opioid addiction support.

KUU-US Crisis Response Service

1-800-588-8717

Call for culturally-aware crisis support for Indigenous peoples in B.C.

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    Youth Resilience

    Fostering resilience in the young people we care about is crucial for their overall wellbeing. By modelling resilience ourselves and by teaching it as a skill, we can help give young people the tools they need to meet challenges.

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    Anxiety, Stress, Depression. Understand the differences.

    Anxiety, depression, and stress are three common mental health concerns that can deeply impact our daily lives. But sometimes, when you’re not feeling well, it can be hard to figure out exactly why.

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    Opioid Treatment Access Line: phone number 1-833-804-8111

    Get same-day support

    The Opioid Treatment Access Line makes it faster and easier to access life-saving medication with same-day support.

    Learn more
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Main navigation

  • Wellbeing
    • Healthy Living
      • Eating Well
      • Staying Active
      • Sleep Habits
      • Mindfulness
    • Emotional
      • Resilience
      • Self-Esteem
      • Loneliness
    • Social
      • Stigma
      • Family
    Image
    young person talking to a group

    Youth Resilience

    Fostering resilience in the young people we care about is crucial for their overall wellbeing. By modelling resilience ourselves and by teaching it as a skill, we can help give young people the tools they need to meet challenges.

    Learn more
  • Mental health
    • Anxiety
      • What to Do About Anxiety
      • Panic Attacks
      • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
    • Depression
      • Symptoms of Depression
      • What to Do About Depression
    • Stress
      • Symptoms of Stress
      • Managing Stress
    • Self-Harm
    • Suicide
    • Seeking Help
      • Families Supporting Youth
      • Youth Supporting Themselves
      • Multi-Language Services in BC
    Image
    Man looks out window pensively

    Anxiety, Stress, Depression. Understand the differences.

    Anxiety, depression, and stress are three common mental health concerns that can deeply impact our daily lives. But sometimes, when you’re not feeling well, it can be hard to figure out exactly why.

    Learn more
  • Substance use
    • Types of Substance Use
      • Alcohol
      • Opioids
      • Stimulants
    • Addiction
      • Addiction and Health
      • Treatment and Recovery
    • Harm Reduction
      • Overdose Prevention
      • Respond to an Overdose
      • Naloxone
      • Drug Checking
    Image
    Opioid Treatment Access Line: phone number 1-833-804-8111

    Get same-day support

    The Opioid Treatment Access Line makes it faster and easier to access life-saving medication with same-day support.

    Learn more
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HelpStartsHere

Talking to Young People About Drugs

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  2. Talking To Young People About Drugs

A lot of what we hear about young people using drugs seems scary. And with so much information out there about the overdose crisis, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed about everything that’s going on. Wanting to protect the children and young people around you is a natural response—but how can you do that effectively?

Talking with young people openly and honestly about substance use is a great way to start. Here are a few ways you can learn, connect and support.

Did You Know?

According to the most recent BC Adolescent Health Survey, about 16% of high school students in BC said they had tried using a substance other than alcohol, marijuana or tobacco. That’s compared to 44% who had tried alcohol and 25% who had tried marijuana. About 18% of youth had tried smoking tobacco, while about 21% had tried vaping. These numbers have been decreasing over time, with fewer young people trying drugs or using them frequently.

Stay Connected

Open, non-judgmental conversations are one of the most important ways we can protect kids from harm—not only from the risks of substance use, but also from other things that may be impacting them, like stress or other life challenges.

To start with, talk with the young people in your life about what’s going on with them in general—ask honest questions about their interests and how they’re feeling, and engage with their responses. If you start by building a positive relationship where young people feel they can speak honestly with you, it may help make difficult conversations easier.

Starting a conversation about substance use might seem hard, but there are different techniques and approaches you can try. If an opportunity comes up to talk about substance use, such as a news story or social media post you’ve seen, ask how they feel or what they think about it. Make sure they know you’re asking from a place of love and genuine concern, and try to be open and non-judgmental about their answers.

Stay Informed

Learning more about substances from reliable sources can help you talk with young people with confidence and accuracy. It’s impossible to know what’s in a drug purchased from an illegal source. Organic drugs like marijuana and mushrooms are unlikely to be cut with toxic substances, while substances such as heroin, fentanyl, cocaine or methamphetamine are more likely to be contaminated. Sites like DanceSafe and British Columbia's Centre on Substance Use's drug checking reports can help you learn more.

Offer Support

There are resources to support youth and families in BC. HelpStartsHere.gov.bc.ca can help you find supports for young people and parents. There are also programs for families such as Parents Like Us (online resource) and peer support through organizations like FamilySmart and FoundryBC.  Knowing what resources are available means you’ll be able to access them when you need to—or you could even do some research together.

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Stay Safer

If you or someone you know uses drugs, it’s more important than ever to know the ways to stay safer.

Learn more
Image
A man pats another man on the back.

Stay Safer

If you or someone you know uses drugs, it’s more important than ever to know the ways to stay safer.

Learn more

Resources

Showing 3 Resources

Foundry Centres

Foundry

Offers health and social services for young people to access mental health care, substance use services, youth and family peer supports, primary care, and social services. Services are provided together in a single place to make it easier for young people to find the care, connection and support they need.

Centres provide safe, non-judgmental care, information and resources in a youth-friendly space and work to reach young people earlier - before health challenges become problematic.

Multiple Locations

Learn More
Available B.C. wide

Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre

BC Children's Hospital

Provides mental health and substance use information, resources and help with navigating the mental health system for families throughout BC and the Yukon.

Parent peer support workers are also available to support parents and caregivers by phone, virtual meeting, e-mail or in-person. See website for online resources, educational events and webinars.

4555 Heather Street, Vancouver, BC

Learn More
Available B.C. wide

FamilySmart

Free programs that help B.C. families and caregivers who are parenting children and youth facing mental health challenges.

Learn More
HelpStartsHere British Columbia

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Call 9-1-1 if you are in an emergency. For mental health support, call:

Crisis Line

Call 1-800-784-2433 or dial 9-8-8 if you are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including thoughts of suicide

Mental Health Support Line

310-6789 (no area code needed)

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Emergency Contacts

Crisis Line

1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or 9-8-8

Mental Health Support

310-6789