Daphne Bramham: B.C. stressed harm reduction, not treatment, and leads Canada in opioid death rate

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Opinion: Despite B.C.\u0027s many firsts, Alberta has a far lower death rate after prioritizing treatment

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Yet for more than a decade, the advice the government has received from Lapointe, the provincial health officer, the B.C. Centre on Substance Use, the city of Vancouver and others has focused heavily on stopping people from dying.In March 2020, it was the first jurisdiction in the world to offer hydromorphone,benzodiazepines, stimulants and alcohol to eligible individuals by prescription under a “safer supply” program.

In 2019, the provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said that these measures had averted 60 per cent of overdose deaths. Her 49-page report that year had a single recommendation: decriminalization.Article contentBut here’s the worst first. By a large margin, British Columbia remains No. 1 when it comes to deaths per 100,000 — 42.1 for the first six months of 2022. Within the Northern Health Authority, it soared to 60 deaths for every 100,000 people.

They’ve argued for a four pillars approach that includes addressing the root causes of addiction, including intergenerational trauma from residential schools, poverty and homelessness.

 

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BC has almost 3X the treatment spaces AB has. Meanwhile, 55% of BC's mental health & addictions budget goes to treatment & 'recovery' vs 13% for overdose prevention & safe supply. Both provinces use the same corrupt model for privatized treatment.

Increased funding for treatment is helpful for many, but it isn't reducing drug poisoning deaths in Alberta. Many more people have died each year since 2019 when Alberta's government started making harm reduction less accessible. ableg cdnpoli opioids

Safe injection sites. A 20yo friend of mine went to one to learn how to inject heroin. They showed him. He is now dead.

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