Original broadcast date: April 12, 2009

What comes to mind when you read about or discuss stories about people who have addictions? Is addiction a chronic disease that requires more of an effort on the part of government to fund programs to help these individuals?

In a policy paper, Stepping Forward: Improving Addiction Care in British Columbia released on March 26, 2009, the BC Medical Association makes ten recommendations for improved access and care for people who need treatment.

• Shao Hua Lu, addictions psychiatrist at Vancouver General Hospital and Clinical Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at University of British Columbia.