Decriminalizing Drugs: Next Steps in the Fight Against the Opioid Crisis in British Columbia, Doctor Says – Coast Mountain News

A man walks past a mural by street artist Smokey D. about the fentanyl and opioid overdose crisis, in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, BC, on Thursday. December 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS / Darryl Dyck

As BC The Chief Health Officer for Vancouver indicated that the legal provision of drugs is essential to reduce the number of deaths among people with addictions.

In her annual health report, released Friday, Dr. Patricia Daly of Vancouver Coastal Health made 21 recommendations in what she called the next phase of overdose intervention in Colombia. British, thus adding to a growing number of health officials and advocates of decriminalization of hard drugs.

"Decriminalizing substance use would help reduce the stigma and social isolation of drug users, thereby improving access to health care and social support," Daly said in a statement.

"Going beyond the decriminalization, legalization and regulation of all psychoactive substances would reduce the population's dependence on the illicit supply of toxic products, drug trafficking and drug activities. illegal drugs that drug users must carry out to finance their consumption.

About 1,500 people died of overdoses of illicit drugs in 2018. The authorities recorded a 30% decrease in the number of deaths between January and May this year compared to the same period last year, but no remain only cautiously optimistic.

Although the number of deaths has stabilized somewhat, fentanyl is still present in more than 80% of drug-related deaths and illegal versions of carfentanil – an opioid used to calm elephants – are on the rise.

The Vancouver region has experienced most of the over 4,000 overdose deaths in BC since 2016. But the problem has also affected every corner of the province, showing no discrimination against a single demographic group.

Daly said that if the highest overdose rate was recorded in the central-east, smaller rural communities such as Powell River and the Sunshine Coast are also disproportionately affected by the epidemic.

One of his recommendations is to make a regulated drug supply available on supervised consumption sites at first, in order to allow drug addicts to move away from deadly distribution networks.

Report highlights interactions of drug users with doctors, hospitals

Daly's latest report examines the medical records of 424 people who have suffered a fatal overdose in Metro Vancouver in 2017, providing insight into the complexities that lead to the premature death of some people through drug use.

According to this information, 39% of the deceased used illicit opioids daily, while 44% used others, such as crystal meth or cocaine. Forty-five per cent had previously used medical care to relieve acute or chronic pain.

Throughout their lives, 87% admitted to having used substances and 84%, substance use problems, depending on their record, which meant that they had discussed their use with a doctor or nurse.

Medical records also showed that more than half, or 59%, of these 424 addicts had tried to treat their addiction, including using suboxone or methadone to replace illicit drugs.

Nevertheless, the majority of those who died were found in an emergency room less than a year before their deaths. Seventy-seven percent of those who died had health services the year before they died, the report says. Forty percent have been in contact with a doctor or hospital within one month and 21% within a week of their death. On 10 of these visits, 7 went to the emergency rooms.

Daly called the efforts of front-line workers and "heroic" emergency responders to mitigate the number of opioid deaths.

"The innovative and tireless work of our front-line staff, our leaders and our partners has led to significant progress in immediate response measures, such as improving access to naloxone, which saves lives; reduce the harms of using illegal substances in supervised consumption and overdose prevention sites; and the expansion of front-line treatment services.

"However, there is still work to do."

In addition to decriminalizing hard drugs, the report also recommends expanding access to opioid substitution treatment programs to include prescription fentanyl, as well as streamlining prevention programs for youth and youth. to expand existing programs in schools.

In April, Bonnie Henry, health official in British Columbia, urged the province to decriminalize possession of illicit drugs as a matter of urgency. Similar researchers made similar calls. Center on Substance Use.

Depending on the province, legalization is a decision that can only be made by the federal government. Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor has repeatedly stated in the past that no law was in the study.

Black Press Media solicited comments from the Minister of Addictions and Mental Health, Judy Darcy.

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