Illicit drug overdose deaths in British Columbia this year predominantly occurred after smoking drugs, according to the latest data. However, only 40 percent of supervised consumption sites in the province offer a safe space for smoking. The chief coroner, Lisa Lapointe, emphasized the need for a change in this regard.
The data reveal that 65 percent of overdose deaths in 2023 were from smoking drugs, while 15 percent were from injection, 14 percent from snorting, and 5 percent from oral consumption. The coroners’ office also notes that individuals can consume drugs using multiple methods.
Since the declaration of a public health emergency in April 2016, the total overdose death toll in the province has reached almost 13,000, with over 1,600 deaths this year alone.
Out of the 47 overdose prevention sites in B.C., only 19 sites offer the option to smoke drugs, while the original supervised consumption site in the province focuses on safe injection. Lapointe highlighted the need to adapt to the changing methods of drug consumption.
Experts studying the topic attribute the lack of safe spaces for smoking drugs to stigma, bureaucracy, and a lack of political will. Analyses from January 2016 to July 2017, following the emergency declaration, showed that one-third of deaths were due to injecting drugs, while 36 percent were involved in smoking drugs.
Lapointe’s office has not made any formal recommendations, but community groups have expressed concerns over the limited availability of safe spaces for drug use, particularly for smoking. According to Lapointe, smoking drugs has become more popular than injecting them. She emphasized the importance of meeting people where they are and adapting policies accordingly to reduce the death toll from the opioid crisis.
Nicole Luongo, the systems change co-ordinator for the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, based at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., highlights the complexity and bureaucracy around setting up safe inhalation sites. She believes the government has the power to facilitate their establishment under the emergency declaration.
The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions stated that local health authorities are responsible for operating these services, and efforts are being made to increase the number of inhalation sites. However, implementing such sites requires considerations, including the availability of suitable outdoor spaces, occupational health and safety concerns, and ventilation requirements.
Community groups in B.C. have established observed inhalation sites, often outdoors in tents, where peers monitor users for overdoses. However, opposition from cities poses challenges, despite a provincial ministerial order allowing overdose prevention services wherever they are needed.
OBSTACLES:
Luongo emphasizes that local governments continue to pass bylaws with zoning restrictions that hinder the opening of inhalation and safe injection sites. She argues that the level of stigma surrounding these sites calls for a nationwide emergency declaration, urging the federal and provincial governments to enforce the implementation of harm reduction services and access to regulated safe supplies for various modes of administration.
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside did not provide an interview, but in a statement, she stated that the government is committed to saving lives and separating individuals from toxic drugs. She highlighted the significant increase in the number of overdose prevention services, from one site in 2016 to 47 sites as of July 2023, including 19 sites offering inhalation services.
Luongo explains that there was initially more trust in smoking stimulants during the early years of the crisis. However, due to the inclusion of toxic additives, this is no longer the case. She suggests expanding Canada’s safe supply programs to include more inhalable options, along with regulated versions of criminalized drugs.
British Columbia is on track for another record-breaking year of deaths from toxic drugs in 2023. Unregulated drug toxicity remains the leading cause of death in the province for individuals aged 10 to 59, surpassing deaths from homicides, suicides, accidents, and natural diseases combined.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2024.
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