Byron did the right thing. He told his employer he had an addiction and he sought treatment.
He was required to attend a faith-based recovery program to keep his job and when he refused he lost his job.
Byron's story is hardly unique.
British Columbia is in the midst of an overdose epidemic, yet many treatment plans require people fighting addiction to attend faith-based twelve step programs or recovery facilities.
For those required to undertake treatment by their employer, an insurer or a court, this amounts to religious coercion.
Further, there's little good evidence to show these treatments work. At the same time, there are secular, evidence based alternatives.
Why aren't these the norm?
Join our call for an end to religious coercion in addictions recovery.
Join our Secular Addictions Recovery campaign
Please note that we do not provide addictions recovery programs.
Latest news
Posted on
News
· June 29, 2023
Trigger warning: Sexual assault This month, shocking news about alleged sexual assault and cover-ups once again drew attention to inequalities and lack of accountability associated with addiction recovery programs in BC. Given this unfortunate string of events, we are renewing our 2018 call to the Government of BC to ensure...
Posted on
News
· August 04, 2022
The BC Humanist Association is calling for an end to moralistic approaches to drug policy in its response to the Health Committee's consultation on the overdose and drug toxicity crisis.
Posted on
News
· December 11, 2019
Vancouver Coastal Health has agreed to change its policy to permit healthcare professionals to opt for a secular addictions treatment option. The move comes as part of a settlement agreement with Byron Wood, who had filed a human rights complaint after being forced to attend religious based Alcoholics Anonymous by...
Posted on
News
· June 13, 2019
A BC Human Rights Tribunal adjudicator has rejected an attempt to dismiss a complaint against Vancouver Coastal Health Authority for forcing a nurse to attending a 12-step program. The BC Humanist Association (BCHA) has been following Byron Wood's case for several years now. This is the final step before Wood's...
Posted on
News
· May 06, 2019
An opposition MLA questioned BC's Minister of Mental Health and Addictions last week about whether the province will require some recovery centres to offer secular options. The question came from North Vancouver-Seymour BC Liberal MLA Jane Thornthwaite during debate over the estimates for the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions on...
Posted on
Blog by Byron Wood
· February 05, 2019
BC is at the forefront of addiction research and treatment provision. So when nurses develop substance use problems, why are are they not afforded the same right to quality and ethical health care as other citizens?
Posted on
News
· November 19, 2018
A labour arbitrator has ruled that Interior Health's policies around hospital workers with substance use issues are discriminatory. The policy is immediately suspended. According to the ruling, the health region's policy meant any employee who disclosed a substance use issue could be immediately suspended and required the employee to commit...
Posted on
News
· September 10, 2018
There is a risk that we are going to be forcing people, or trying to force people, to engage in a service or a support that is legitimately not right for them. Karen Urbanoski, a scientist at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research in Victoria, told this to journalist Bethany...
Posted on
News
· August 20, 2018
The BC Humanist Association today submitted its recommendations for a draft mental health and addictions strategy in British Columbia. The provincial government has been collecting feedback for a strategy following the creation of the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions last year. In its response, the BCHA calls for secular...
Posted on
News
· July 25, 2018
The BC Humanist Association is encouraging people to share their stories about the importance of secular and evidence based treatments as part of a new consultation for a draft provincial mental health and addictions strategy. Last year, the Government of BC created the Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction. The...
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