Survey finds British Columbians possess desire for action and are also willing to consider radical options for addiction treatment British Columbians are deeply concerned about the overdose crisis and want to see improved access to addiction treatment - but, faced with an unprecedented number of drug deaths in the province, they're also willing to consider more radical options such as the legalization of hard drugs. Those are some of the findings of a new survey by the Mustel Group, conducted for the InnerChange Foundation, a Vancouver-based non-profit that supports research in mental health and addiction. The survey provides a snapshot of provincial attitudes on substance-use disorder, and which initiatives people are willing to support amid the province's worst overdose crisis on record. It's expected that more than 800 people will have died of illicit drug overdoses by year's end; health and justice officials, politicians and activists have called for a broad range of remedies from increasing the number of treatment beds to legalization. [continues 637 words]
GOV'TS GRAPPLE WITH WEED RULES IN 2017 Cops, city staff rework policies in face of law change With federal legislation set to be introduced this spring to legalize marijuana across Canada, city staff and police in the Tri-Cities may have to rejig their policies. Port Coquitlam - which already has a storefront dispensary selling recreational pot, contrary to Health Canada's Controlled Drugs and Substances Act as well as city regulations - is keeping a close eye on the proposed changes. [continues 136 words]
No one actually used the pop-up overdose prevention site that appeared near Roxy Park, Monday afternoon in Kelowna. While some residents issued their displeasure to other media at the sight of a small tent and community members gathered in the cold - organizers of the pop-up site say the event went over very well. Okanagan College Professor and former NDP candidate Norah Bowman along with former Kelowna city Councillor Michelle Rule were the two who hosted the Overdose Prevention pop-up site in Rutland. [continues 412 words]
Doug Nickerson is never without a naloxone kit, which he says he has used 113 times He walks Surrey's notorious strip in Whalley, always carrying a naloxone kit. Having being saved five times from the life-saving naloxone, Doug Nickerson now puts it to use for others he sees on Surrey's most battle worn street. "I don't go anywhere without a naloxone kit," said Nickerson. "I hang a kit on my belt loop and away I go. Always have it." [continues 549 words]
Firefighters treating increasing numbers of drug overdose victims In the middle of another devastating month for drug overdoses in Greater Victoria, West Shore first responders continue to be on the front lines of some of these calls. "Our hearts go out to the families that are dealing with these types of emergencies," said Langford Fire Rescue Capt. Lance Caven. He added that the Langford department, along with other West Shore firefighters, are "responding to these calls as part of a team." [continues 427 words]
Regarding the letter, Why should we pay? (Penticton Western News, Dec. 21) - I can think of one good reason why taxpayers should pay to ameliorate the fentanyl crisis: It's all the government's (and taxpayers') fault. It is precisely because the federal government decided years ago to ban the use and distribution of certain recreational drugs that drug users today are forced to purchase unsafe drugs. Solution? Legalize all recreational drugs and not just those the politicians use. Alan Randell Victoria [end]
Handing out naloxone kits has had the unintended consequence of contributing to spiking the number of deaths. What is the incentive for a drug user to change their behaviour? These kits are providing a false sense of security. Users will continue with the hope that they will be resuscitated in a worst-case scenario. They also contribute to straining our overcrowded hospitals. Why can't our supposedly medical professionals figure this out? Bruce McDonald, Surrey [end]
Enough already with the overdose problem. Yes, I am sorry that so many people are addicted to drugs. I do not understand why Canada and B.C. have so many drug addicts. We cannot save these people; they need to save themselves. More money will not fix the problem; they must decide for themselves to get clean. Soon Canada will be a haven for every drug user in North America if we keep saving these people instead of forcing them to hit bottom and get sober. Taxpayers are getting tired of paying the bills for people who are not contributing anything for their care. Please give us a break and stop using our precious health care dollars for a problem we will never solve. Bonnie Mitchell, Vernon [end]
Trio sets up its own overdose-prevention site in Rutland after Interior Health fails in bid to establish one in community More pop-up overdose-prevention sites such as the one created Monday could be coming to a Rutland neighbourhood. Depending on the response of civic officials and police, additional efforts could be undertaken to offer places where drug users could receive naloxone in the event of an overdose. "We're going into this, frankly, with a lot of unknowns," Norah Bowman said Monday. [continues 361 words]
Let me start by saying that I am in favour of making illegal drugs legal, provided they are given to registered addicts in regulated doses to be used in situ. The addict arrives at the clinic (or opium den, or whatever you want to call it); shows his/her photo permit; gets the dose in a needle; and either uses it or is injected by an employee. I don't care whether he/she pays or not. If the feds/province/municipality buys the stuff from the producer, with no middleman (sorry, middle person), the cost per dose will be about 50 cents. Chump change. [continues 193 words]
Before 1973 there were no services for heroin addicts at all except in prison. Then the NDP passed reforms to health care which permitted methadone clinics. These were quite radical at the time. The clinic possibly saved my life as I was then using heroin. I got work and became law abiding and some of my friends did the same. Many eventually withdrew off methadone as the years went by and became "normal" people. In the last 15 years the powers that be have ignored the lessons of Portugal and The Netherlands and even the universities that study such problems. It is now abundantly clear that prescription heroin is part of the answer along with counselling and/or residential detox for those who want to be drug free. I don't hear any politicians advocating for such solutions. As Christy Clark says, "This is beyond politics." With the introduction of fentanyl (and carfentanil) the situation is becoming a body count and there is no time for dithering or "further studies." If there had been action on this 10 years ago we would not be in such a situation now. D'Arcy Proulx, Roberts Creek [end]
There is an easy way to stop this crisis in its tracks. Legalize street drugs, in a controlled way, so that addicts can get what they need without having to resort to dealers who provide products of unknown purity. If alcohol and tobacco were illegal, there would be even more deaths from adulterated products. As a bonus a lot of dealers would be out of business. I cannot imagine why this has not been done. I realize that there are legal impediments to doing this, but we do have a serious problem. The laws should be changed immediately, or if necessary, broken by the health authorities in order to save lives. If done, everyone wins, the addicts stay alive and out of trouble, the police and other first-responders can take a much-needed rest, the illegal distribution network collapses, and the social workers can help these people in a more productive way. There is no time to waste, this needs to be done ASAP. Mark H. White, Vancouver [end]
The courts must do whatever they can to stop or reduce drug trafficking, a Nanaimo judge said last week as he handed a drug trafficker a six-month jail sentence. On Dec. 19, Trevor Lee Sihota pleaded guilty to possession of heroin for the purpose of trafficking. Sihota, a 35-year-old recovering crack cocaine and crystal meth addict, was arrested on March 7, 2013. Police found 42.7 grams of heroin valued at $4,700 to $6,000 in his apartment. [continues 556 words]
B.C. mom Scarlett Ballantyne wonders if Ottawa's plans to legalize marijuana will make her 14- and 16-year-old daughters more inclined to try it. But she's not waiting to find out. Ballantyne says her family has been discussing the dangers of drug use since the girls were 13 - a preemptive strike as pot shops and marijuana headlines have been popping up everywhere they turn. She's proud to say they are athletic, self-confident kids, but she also gets the impression that their generation sees marijuana as "not that big of a deal." [continues 687 words]
Two years ago, a good friend of mine died here in Prince George, along with three others over the Christmas Holidays, all from fentanyl overdoses. One year before he died, I watched my friend Ken fight, sweat, vomit and soil his way through withdrawal from heroin, cold turkey. After three weeks, he found employment, rose quickly through the ranks and gladly helped others. After eleven months clean, his pain, regrets from the past, the company of others afflicted and this perverted unrealistic time of year for a lot of people, culminated in his succumbing to his addiction one last time. [continues 526 words]
Re: "Church builds wall to keep out drug users, homeless campers," Dec. 22. If the homeless drug-addicted want to use church property to sleep on, perhaps they should try being good neighbours. Just because they have addiction or mental health issues, it is not an acceptable excuse for leaving a filthy, dangerous mess behind. During their lucid moments, why not collect their used needles and trash and dispose of them safely? Perhaps the homeless shelters could organize cleanup parties every morning. If they were to keep their neighbourhood cleaner, people might be more welcoming. John Miller Victoria [end]
As the latest statistics from the BC Coroners Service confirm illicit-drug-overdose fatalities are continuing to climb, posters aimed at getting the message across that the danger isn't confined to addicts are being distributed throughout the Semiahmoo Peninsula. Verna Logan, constituency assistant to Surrey-White Rock MLA Gordon Hogg, confirmed last week that the posters, created by Fraser Health, have been sent to South Surrey & White Rock Chamber of Commerce officials for distribution to their membership, as well as the White Rock Business Improvement Association, the Surrey Board of Trade and other organizations. [continues 277 words]
Ten illicit drug-related deaths in 2016 is far below the provincial average but still twice the number in 2015 Richmond has the lowest death rate for illicit drug overdose deaths in B.C. and has largely escaped the healthcare crisis happening in Downtown Vancouver and other jurisdictions across the province. Richmond's Medical Health Officer, Meena Dawar, notes that despite the low death rate this year, to date, it is still two times greater than it was last year, according to data provided by the BC Coroners Service this week. [continues 349 words]
Council willing to allow only 55 amid a surge of overdoses, homelessness Grappling with a steady stream of fentanyl overdoses and the interrelated issues of drug addiction and homelessness, the City of Surrey has moved to limit the number of recovery houses that can operate in its boundaries. With 50 registered recovery houses and another 20 unlicensed facilities taking in people with severe addictions, city council this week said it is willing to permit 55 homes, and the rest must shut down. [continues 565 words]
City council willing to permit 55 homes but no more; rest must be shut down Grappling with a sustained fentanyl overdose crisis and the interrelated issues of drug addiction and homelessness, the City of Surrey has moved to limit the number of recovery houses that can operate in its boundaries. With 50 registered recovery houses, and another 20 unlicensed ones taking in people with severe addictions, city council this week said it is willing to permit 55 homes but no more, and that the rest must shut down. [continues 575 words]
Yes, there is a fentanyl crisis, but it is one we made ourselves in our all-fired enthusiasm to control everything. The Drug War had its origins almost exactly 100 years ago when legislation was created both in the U.S. and Canada to "control" cannabis and opium, and were largely racially-inspired attacks on unpopular minorities who used these substances (eg. Chinese labourers working on the CP railway, and disposable artsy types). Since the Second World War, the drug problem has grown like Topsy, each ill-advised exacerbation of the laws being reliably accompanied by an increase in prison populations, in the U.S. from 500,000 in 1980 to about 2.2 million in 2013. [continues 181 words]
"You can watch if you want," says Brandon as he sits down in a chair and puts his drug paraphernalia on the table in front of a mirror. He fumbles around inside his pocket for the heroin to shoot up and get high. But this time he isn't doing it alone. Brandon is one of more than a dozen people who went to the city's first overdose prevention site that opened at Our Place on Tuesday morning. By noon, around 11 drug users had already used the site to safely inject drugs in the company of a paramedic standing by in case of an overdose. [continues 660 words]
Province's drug problem taking serious toll on already over-stressed workforce Incessant overdose calls and multiple drug deaths during shifts are taking a serious toll on the mental health of B.C. paramedics, according to their union. Bob Parkinson, director of health and wellness for the Ambulance Paramedics and Emergency Dispatchers of B.C., said even before the current fentanyl-related overdose crisis, paramedics were feeling strained while responding daily to life-and-death situations. "We're already an over-stressed workforce with little or no support and we are seeing more and more effects of this," he said. [continues 564 words]
Dear Editor: The time has come for Canadians to stand up and deal with street drugs in a different way. No matter how much money, time and heartache goes into trying to cope with the current plague of overdoses, there will never be an end to it. When a drug dealer/manufacturer is caught, the repercussions do not fit the crime. A slap on the wrist, confiscation of property, fines or even short prison terms do not stop these entitled criminals. [continues 152 words]
Two doses of naloxone saved a six-month-old puppy from an overdose after it ingested drugs in Mount Douglas Park. Veterinarian Helen Rae said Chico was brought to the McKenzie Veterinary Hospital on Friday evening after her owners noticed she was wobbly and appeared to be under the influence of drugs. The owners knew the puppy had eaten something while on leash in the Saanich park but didn't know what. Rae noticed the dog, a pug cross, couldn't walk straight, seemed sedated and had constricted pupils. [continues 204 words]
Dear Editor: Omnipotence R us? To start with, we need to see what the meaning of omnipotence is. Quote from a legal source dictionary: "The quality of having unlimited or very great power." There are several other synonyms that can be used in place of omnipotence. Some of these are: "all-powerfulness, almightiness, supremacy, pre-eminence, supreme power, absolute power, unlimited power; invincibility." Where am going with this, you might ask? Somehow the word and its relatives apply to city council in some of its dealings as of late. [continues 300 words]
It's been a year of positive highlights punctuated by a few disappointments for Kootenay-Columbia MP Wayne Stetski, who stopped by the Cranbrook Townsman on Tuesday to reflect on the last 12 months. Stetski says helping constituents address and solve problems and concerns is one of the best parts of his job, while being in Parliament - and all the history and gravitas that it represents for Canada's 150th anniversary - is exciting and noteworthy. "Every day is different, every day is interesting," Stetski said. "The best part is learning every day. Learning about Canada, learning internationally about things that are happening around the world and you learn about your riding." [continues 733 words]
Re: Opioid rouletter, Dec. 19 Research has shown that almost all addiction, as well many incidents of depression and anxiety, is trauma-based. Between the ages of 15 and 25, youth begin to react to this trauma through acting out, depression, anxiety, and self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. This behaviour is a dysfunctional attempt to mask their pain from the trauma. They are then further stigmatized by society, which labels them as weak, immoral, or worst of all, criminal. Harm reduction is one pillar, but we need to pay equal, if not more, attention to prevention. Therapy is key for these youth to gain insight and to be empowered to leave dysfunctional behaviours behind. Most youth will end dysfunctional coping strategies when they address the root causes of their personal issues. Abstinence is the ultimate goal. [continues 99 words]
Re: Getting tough with addicts would help them in the end, Letters, Dec. 19 Get tough with addicts - good for you, Fred Stark, for saying what I was about to say. If the cost of institutionalizing these lost souls is a problem, just think of the costs now being incurred. The cost of keeping them in limbo, as they are, is incredible. The costs for welfare, police, ambulance, firemen, hospitals, etc. would well take care of funding for an institution. They can all afford drugs, cigarettes etc. We all know very well where that comes from. Lastly, if one of your family was one of these poor lost souls, wouldn't you want to see a form of intervention taken? And to all the naysayers, I would ask, "So, how's it working for you so far?" Gerry Waddington, Cloverdale [end]
All hands were on deck for Welfare Wednesday, as an opioid crisis continues to sweep the most vulnerable in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Wednesday was the busiest day seen by staff at the Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) since it was set up last week to relieve the pressure on hospital emergency wards, said Dr. Sunil Mangal, who was staffing the MMU late Wednesday. A total of 25 overdose patients were treated, compared to the previous record of 15 in a single day. [continues 529 words]
B.C. Coroners Service says November results part of huge annual increase in fatalities As an unchecked crisis in fentanyl overdoses shows no signs of abating, at least 128 people died in B.C. in November alone, reaching 775 so far this year, according to Lisa Lapointe, chief coroner for the B.C. Coroners Service. In at least 374 of the cases, more than 60 per cent, fentanyl was a contributing factor in the death, Lapointe said Monday. And with labs not yet able to detect carfentanil in human tissue, the role of this even more powerful cousin of fentanyl has yet to be quantified. [continues 452 words]
Re: "New toxic drugs add to overdose crisis: coroner," Dec. 20. What has been done so far has been ineffective. What is being proposed will not stop this unprecedented amount of dying in any reasonable time frame. Agreement between the RCMP and their Chinese counterparts is unrealistic. The border will always be somewhat porous. Such agreements won't produce quick and lasting results. Adding treatment beds and counselling is long term. Adding to the resources for first responders is playing an expensive, and likely ineffective, game of catch-up. [continues 137 words]
As a crisis in fentanyl overdoses shows no signs of abating, at least 128 people died in B.C. in November alone, reaching 775 so far this year, according to Lisa Lapointe, the chief coroner for the B.C. Coroners Service. In at least 374 of the cases - more than 60 per cent - fentanyl was a contributing factor in the death, Lapointe said Monday. And with labs not yet able to detect carfentanil in human tissue, the role of this even more powerful cousin of fentanyl in the deaths has yet to be quantified. [continues 405 words]
Naloxone has seen a meteoric rise in use in British Columbia as an opioid overdose antidote. As of mid-December more than 755 people had died from overdoses, including 128 in November alone, according to the B.C. Coroners Service. Naloxone, however, has become a first-line response for drug users, first responders and others who witness an overdose. Here is a primer on what naloxone is, what it does and doesn't affect, and how prevalent it is in B.C. [continues 310 words]
Re: "New toxic drugs add to overdose crisis: coroner," Dec. 20. Is everyone involved in the management (or mismanagement) of this problem ignoring the one solution to this problem that has been effect in England for years? It's called prescribed heroin for certified addicts. It has to be cheaper than all the emergency services that are being flung at it. It would certainly save lives. As yet, I haven't seen or heard of anyone in a position to effect change espousing the advantages of such a program. Surely it's worth a look. Doug Oliver Sooke [end]
A report recommends allowing people to possess up to 30 grams of marijuana Squamish marijuana advocates say they are cautiously optimistic about the federal plan to legalize the drug. Last week, the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation report to the federal government laid out more than 80 recommendations that create a framework for legalizing and regulating marijuana for recreational use. The report recommends sales should be restricted to those 18 and older, with a personal possession limit of 30 grams. [continues 456 words]
DRIVING to work the other morning, I passed the grow-op up the street from my house. It's about 100 metres from an elementary school and when it vents, it stinks. In fact, the interior of my car still reeked when I arrived at the office 15 minutes after driving through that cloud and it really annoyed me to think the guy who stunk up my car likely has a more lucrative income than I do and probably most of people reading this. [continues 463 words]
Back in January I had a letter in this paper about how Christy Clark's solution to homelessness of opening a temporary shelter was a half-baked non-solution; a Band-aid akin to Red Green fixing every problem with duct tape. Well, I feel the same about her Band-aid solution to drug overdoses: temporary injection sites to use illegal drugs which would get them arrested if they were using the same drugs a mere 20 feet away. This is temporary until when? After the next provincial election? [continues 86 words]
In January I had a letter in this newspaper on how Christy Clark's solution to homelessness by opening a temporary shelter was a half-baked non-solution. Well I feel the same about her Band-Aid solution to drug overdoses and drug caused deaths: temporary injection sites to use illegal drugs which would get them arrested if they were using the same drugs a mere 20 feet away. Temporary until when? After the next provincial election? Attacking the root of the issue by making access to clinical counselors covered by MSP to help addicts overcome their drug addictions is the way to go. [continues 51 words]
I believe that people who own houses in Vancouver, or anywhere in Canada should not pay extra taxes due to a fentanyl crisis. Has the government actually gone door-to-door to ask people/homeowners if it's OK to raise taxes for this crisis? To me it's a way to support the addicts to keep them supplied with this crisis instead of the government actually looking at the real problem. The government is supplying the addicts with clean needles and supplies to keep them going with their addictions and not helping with the problem. They are saying it's OK to do heroin, cocaine and meth by supplying them with the needles and help kits. [continues 65 words]
An orange shipping container converted into a supervised consumption site for injection drug users opens today in the courtyard at Our Place on Pandora Avenue. The hope is that the new temporary and limited service helps to curb the catastrophic number of overdose deaths in Victoria. It is the first supervised consumption service to open at the end of a year of unprecedented deaths, the day after the B.C. Coroners Service announced November overdose deaths were the highest on record for the province. [continues 640 words]
The Canadian government needs to fill more than 200 federal RCMP vacancies in B.C. to help the province deal with its drug overdose crisis, B.C.'s director of police services said Monday. Clayton Pecknold, who co-chairs the province's task force on overdose response, credited the federal government with introducing legislation to ease the way for safe consumption sites and prevent the smuggling of opioids into Canada. "But there's more they can do," he said. "We are still down in the number of RCMP officers that we have doing federal drug enforcement in this province. We'd like to see the federal government act quickly on filling those positions." [continues 429 words]
We need to get at the roots of drug abuse, find out what factors lead people to take illicit drugs, and figure out what support they need to get off drugs and stay clean. We need to get the message out there that drugs are not the solution to problems. We need to step up efforts to apprehend and prosecute manufacturers and distributors of illicit drugs. But first, we need to stop people from dying. And to do that, we must do things that might seem counter-intuitive to many of us, such as providing safe-consumption sites or perhaps free, clean heroin to people who are addicted. We must stop regarding people who are addicted to drugs as criminals or some lower form of life, and see them for who they really are: victims of a terrible illness who need help, not condemnation. [continues 475 words]
B.C.'s overdose crisis appears to be worsening, sparking fears that drugs are becoming increasingly toxic and unpredictable, chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said Monday. More than four people a day died on average in November for a total of 128 deaths, the highest number of illicit drug overdoses for a single month in recent memory. With up to 13 people dying from overdoses in one day last week, the crisis shows no signs of abating. "December is looking like a very bad month," Lapointe said Monday in releasing the latest statistics. [continues 845 words]
Editor: The time has come for Canadians to stand up and deal with street drugs in a different way. No matter how much money, time and heartache goes into trying to cope with the current plague of overdoses, there will never be an end to it. When a drug dealer/manufacturer is caught, the repercussions do not fit the crime. A slap on the wrist, confiscation of property, fines or even short prison terms do not stop these entitled criminals. They are dealing death. They know what they are doing. They plan their actions and they make huge sums of money on the pain and suffering (and possible death) of their customers - not to mention the grief and loss inflicted on the victims families. [continues 192 words]
Twice as many drug overdose deaths in Kelowna so far this year as all of last year, with no end to crisis in sight Drug overdose deaths are increasing rapidly with no end in sight, says Interior Health medical director Dr. Trevor Corneil. In Kelowna, there were 40 overdose deaths from Jan. 1 to Nov. 30, compared to 19 overdose deaths all of last year, according to statistics released by the BC Coroners Service. Across the Okanagan, there were 65 overdose deaths in the same period this year, at a rate of 19.4 deaths per 100,000 people, compared to 42 overdose deaths all of last year, at a rate of 11.6 deaths per 100,000 people. [continues 603 words]
If I may, a thought or two on the column I wrote last week on the fentanyl crisis. My position on this tragic situation, as espoused in that column, can be summarized adequately in these three points: The cry of sobriety is getting more and more lost in the din of harm reduction and it needs a louder voice; harm reduction does have an important role to play in the management of this crisis; the only way to guarantee you, me or anyone will not suffer a fentanyl overdose is to not use drugs that may contain fentanyl. [continues 553 words]
The Municipality of North Cowichan has delivered a lump of coal to two Chemainus dispensaries in the form of a $200 fine. Leaf Compassion Cannabis Dispensary and Green Aura in Chemainus were slapped with tickets last Tuesday by the area's manager of building and compliance for not having a business license. North Cowichan Mayor Jon Lefebure said the dispensary is operating contrary to federal law. "I don't see any grey area, it's very clear. We can't issue a business license for an activity that is illegal," he said. [continues 688 words]
Nanaimo Mayor Bill McKay was hoping to introduce a motion to city council Monday that limits proximity of marijuana dispensaries to minors. McKay planned to direct staff to draft a bylaw prohibiting marijuana dispensaries from being situated within 500 metres of any facility where people under 19 years old gather, such as parks, childcare centres, schools and recreation centres. Melissa Burke, owner of Kidz Kompany Childcare Group, is concerned a dispensary could be opening next to her Terminal Avenue location. While there are legitimate reasons for medicinal marijuana, some are accessing dispensaries illegitimately, Burke said. [continues 303 words]
I was unavailable to attend and speak to the evening council session Agenda 14.3, on "Temporary use permits for marijuana dispensaries." However, I am somewhat astonished. After reviewing this matter on the City of Penticton video I will be addressing this with Blake Laven, if he is available. It is even admitted and stated by city staff and a couple of councillors that a Federal Law currently exists and a court challenge could overturn this council's decision. The City of Penticton cannot legally overrule a federal law. Municipal law is at the bottom of the ladder, not the top. Penticton residents are advised that we have a large deficit in our city infrastructure, but yet we are wasting monies and staff time on an illegal issue. [continues 173 words]
Inside British Columbia
