We need to work together to tackle the overdose crisis and save lives

John Horgan
Aug 31, 2018 · 4 min read

This week, the B.C. government launched a lawsuit against over 40 opioid companies.

Our lawsuit alleges that opioid companies deceived prescribers and patients about the benefits and risks of opioids, and as a result B.C. has incurred significant health-care costs.

We believe drug companies need to take responsibility for the human and financial toll opioids have had on our province.

And they need to put the lives of people ahead of profits.

This is the latest step in our battle against B.C.’s overdose crisis.

Every day, our government is doing more to escalate its response to crisis.

Minister for Mental Health and Addictions Judy Darcy and Attorney General David Eby announcing the Province’s suit against the opioid industry.

The overdose crisis affects every person in this province.

A few months ago, I joined a ride-along with the BC Ambulance service in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside so I could see and understand the overdose crisis from the frontlines.

It was an experience I’ll never forget.

Premier John Horgan during his ride along with BC Ambulance Services.

Our first call was to Powell Street in Vancouver where a man had overdosed. Volunteers had quickly administered naloxone, and the man was revived by the time we arrived.

Two crews of ambulance paramedics came a few minutes later and administered tests to make sure his vitals had returned. The man’s girlfriend arrived soon after, overwhelmed with relief that he was alive.

Thanks to the quick work of people every step of the way, there was a good ending to the overdose I witnessed. But the bad endings have become an epidemic, and people in every part of B.C. are losing their loved ones to the overdose crisis.

Family and friends are losing people they love, communities are losing leaders, and emergency responders are experiencing unprecedented losses of life day after day.

Last month, 130 overdoses were reported in one day. One day. These are our sons and our daughters, our sisters and our brothers, our mothers and our fathers.

The overdose crisis is unprecedented and demands unprecedented action.

Keeping people alive is our top priority. One of our first actions as a government was to create a stand-alone Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions to provide a single point of accountability, focus and action.

Within the first two months of our government taking office, we committed $322 million over three years to tackle the overdose crisis.

We launched the new provincial Overdose Emergency Response Centre, which works with Community Action Teams in 20 communities to save lives and to build services on the ground. And it’s helped. Thousands of lives have been saved at the same consumption and overdose preventions sites operating throughout B.C. We’re also doubling our efforts to make sure the right treatment is available. And it’s been working. More people are getting the help they need.

And we’re doing more to stop the overdoses before they happen. That means listening to people who use drugs and the people on the frontlines of the crisis and acting on their recommendations.

Minister Judy Darcy thanks staff at an Overdose Emergency Response Centre opening.

People are dying mostly when they’re using drugs alone. People are surviving when they don’t feel they have to hide. When family, friends and people in their communities know what they are going through, and can provide support.

Naloxone kits are also making a difference. In September 2017, we made naloxone kits widely available to anyone likely to witness an overdose through neighbourhood pharmacies.

These measures have helped. But it’s not enough.

We’re working with local governments and British Columbians all over the province to help connect people to harm reduction, treatment and recovery services. More support is being provided to first responders to support their life-saving work. And we’re collaborating with First Nations and Indigenous communities to support more culturally appropriate health programs and services. These measures have helped. But we need to do more.

Our job as government is to keep stepping up our response. To stop the supply of toxic illegal drugs. To protect public safety. To prevent overdoses. And most importantly, to put people with addictions on the path to long-term recovery — quickly.

We need to keep working together to save more lives.

As British Columbians, we can all do our part to help tackle to the overdose crisis. We can educate ourselves about mental illness and addictions. We can sign up for Naloxone training. We can help connect people to the services they need.

And most importantly, we can reduce stigma within our families and communities.

Stigma puts the people we love at risk by making them feel they have to hide their addiction. We need to break down stigma and help our friends and families talk about substance use and addiction.

Visit stopoverdosebc.ca to learn more.

British Columbia is in crisis. But we are in this crisis together.

Our government will keep doing everything we can to keep toxic fentanyl out of our province, and keep our loved ones safe and healthy.

On International Overdose Awareness Day, let’s recommit to working together to tackle the overdose crisis.

John Horgan

Premier of British Columbia, leader of the BC NDP and MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca.

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