Keeping B.C. Healthy & Safe

The provincial government is committed to promoting healthful living and to making B.C. a healthy place to be. One of the ways the government demonstrates this is through its work on a variety of preventative measures that can help you lead a better and longer life and reduce the burden on B.C.'s health care system.

Services and information topics

Food Safety & Security

On this page, read about food safety (making sure our food is safe to eat), and food security (working toward a food supply that is stable and sustainable) in British Columbia.

Emergency Preparedness

The Emergency Program Act requires the Ministry of Health, health authorities and the B.C. Ambulance Service to develop, implement, and test their emergency and business continuity plans. These plans include an all-hazards approach in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from a wide range of emergencies and disasters.

Healthy Communities

Healthy communities have more places to play, more places to grow and find fresh food and more ways to get around by walking, cycling or using public transportation. They support their residents in adopting healthier lifestyles by providing access to tobacco-free environments and social connections that foster positive mental health.

Tobacco and Vapour Products

 
The sale, display, promotion and use of tobacco and vapour products in British Columbia are subject to both federal and provincial laws. In B.C., the Tobacco and Vapour Products Control Act regulates the sales, promotion and use of tobacco and vapour products. The Public Health Act also regulates the sale of vapour products.

Industrial Camps

Industrial camps are places where people are employed and accommodated onsite – such as camps supporting forestry, saw mills, mining, canneries, and oil and gas activities. The goal is to ensure potential risks to human health are managed appropriately in these camps.

Oil and Gas Activities

Oil and gas development in B.C. has grown in recent years. The Province is committed to protecting the health of British Columbians, while supporting growth and development.

Personal Service Establishments & Major Planned Events

A personal service establishment provides a personal service to or on the body of another person (e.g., tanning beds, tattooing and piercing). A major planned event is a planned temporary gathering in B.C. whose nature, expected attendance level, duration and/or location challenges the response capability of a community. 

Radiation

Radiation is energy that travels through material or space in the form of waves or streams of particles. It is present everywhere in our environment.