By Cheryl Jahn

Carson Cleland’s father Ryan overjoyed with new legislation to protect kids

Mar 14, 2024 | 3:41 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – “Well, I’m so happy with what our government is doing to try and protect our children and families,” says Ryan Cleland. “They are taking the extra step. They’re taking the initiative and they’re going above and beyond what I would ever expect them to. Speaking with Premier David Eby, he speaks to me not as a as a premier. He talks to me like a father who hurts for us just because we are hurting.”

Citing Carson Cleland’s suicide earlier this year, Premier Eby introduced the Public Health Accountability and Cost Recovery Act which will provide the tools necessary for the government to recover costs associated with the promotion, marketing and distribution of products that are harmful to adults and children in British Columbia.

Building on the Province’s previous legislation to enable litigation against tobacco and opioid manufacturers, this act further enshrines the robust role of the attorney general to engage in proactive litigation on behalf of the public.

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“Our government previously warned social media giants, tobacco, drug companies and other big faceless corporations that we would be taking action to hold them accountable for the harm they are causing to people, including kids,” says Premier Eby. “My message is simple: Here in B.C., we expect you to operate in a way that doesn’t hurt people, period.”

“The support we’ve had from government, from the police, from family, from friends, from everybody in this province and country,” says Ryan. “People have been reaching out to us from everywhere. And with this legislation coming in, I think everything we can do to protect children and families from any kind of harm is a good thing. ”

The legislation provides a way for government to go after social media companies for the harm their algorithms cause people, especially kids. If passed, the legislation will also apply to companies producing products designed to create addiction, particularly in children and young adults.