Five years after the B.C. opioid overdose crisis was declared a public health emergency, the province announced it’s submitting a formal request for an exemption from Health Canada to decriminalize the personal possession of drugs.
“Stigma drives people to hide their drug use, avoid health care and use alone,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, at an April 14 media briefing in Victoria.
“Through provincewide decriminalization, we can reduce the fear and shame that keep people silent about their drug use, and support people to reach out for help, life-saving supports and treatment.”
The process to seek an exemption from the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act would look at defining simple possession and amounts and “ensuring the readiness of law enforcement, health and social services to support decriminalization,” said a release following the briefing.
Engagement with local governments and Indigenous groups, as well as peers, public health and law enforcement officials is planned.
The province also announced $45 million in funding over three years for overdose prevention services, on top of funding announced last August.
Those services could include inhalation sites, hiring nurses to prescribe addictions treatment medications as well as social workers and peer support workers.
In B.C., 23,000 people are using some form of opioid agonist treatment, and 82 nurses have enrolled in training to prescribe opioid use disorder medications.
The pandemic continues to exacerbate the crisis, with the BC Coroners Service reporting a record-breaking 165 illegal drug toxicity deaths in January – an increase of 104 per cent compared with January 2020.
From January to Feb. 28, 329 toxic drug deaths have been recorded in the province, including 11 in the North Shore/Coast Garibaldi health services delivery area, which includes the Sunshine Coast.
There were seven deaths reported in the Sunshine Coast local health area in 2020.
In the March 24 report detailing the statistics, chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said the BC Coroners Service is “particularly concerned about the toxicity of the drugs detected in many of the deaths recorded in January.”
“The findings suggest that the already unstable drug supply in B.C. is becoming even deadlier, underscoring the urgent need for supervised consumption options, prescribing for safe supply, and accessible treatment and recovery services.”
