Checking on unhoused critical amid freezing temperatures, B.C.’s toxic drug crisis

The Lower Mainland is in for some extremely low temperatures this week, so homeless advocates are asking the public to look out for their neighbours and not leave someone who has potentially overdosed or is freezing to death alone on the sidewalk. 

“This week, there is also an opportunity to potentially save lives,” said Nicole Mucci with the Union Gospel Mission. “It’s okay to care.”

In Vancouver, a chillier Tuesday and Wednesday are expected with overnight temperatures between -5 and -10C.

“So if you are exposed to the wind, you are going to feel a lot colder,” Meteorologist Bobby Sekhon with Environment Canada said.

And with the poisoned drug supply and a burst of cold weather advocates like Mucci say now it’s more important than ever not to ignore some of our most vulnerable.

Mucci pleads with people not to just walk away when they see someone lying on the ground. 

“If you see somebody and you’re not sure — trust your instinct. If your instinct says, ‘I think that person might be in distress,’ or ‘I just really can’t tell.’ Check. The first thing you can do is you can go over, get down … so you’re not shouting above the person. You can say, ‘Hey, are you okay? I’m concerned about you.’ And if this person is asleep, they will stir or they may tell you… ‘I’m sleeping, I’m trying to rest,’ then you’ve done your due diligence, and it’s okay to walk away at that time. If the person doesn’t respond, that’s when you know that it is good that you stopped.”

 

Related Articles: 

• B.C. sets another grim record for illicit drug toxicity deaths in 2021

• Temperatures to drop in Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, and Sea to Sky regions

Especially with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Bryan Wong, CEO of Pacific First Aid, says people might be worried about getting close to people they don’t know. But he says it’s still safe to reach out. 

“Put on your mask yourself … Be as cautious as you can,” Wong adds. “You could be in be at a distance saying ‘Hey, buddy, are you okay? Can you hear me?'”

Both Mucci and Wong suggest that 9-1-1 is also a tool people can use. 

“For someone who’s hesitant, would be too. If if it feels off, trust your gut instinct, call 911. Have someone else come take a look,” Wong says. 

And call when if you’re not sure if the person is breathing, or not responsive Mucci adds. 

“That’s all you’ve got to do. If you don’t have Naloxone training, if you’re not an outreach worker, no one is expecting you to know exactly what to do in the moment. But you can save a life simply by just stopping if you notice and listen to your instincts.”

Mucci also recommends people ask someone who looks like they need help if 2-1-1 should be called to find a nearby shelter. 

Read More: Extreme cold weather prompts Metro Vancouver warming centres to open

Earlier this month the province confirmed that 2,224 people in 2021 died of illicit toxic drugs. The number of deaths has increased every year since 2016, when B.C. declared a public health emergency. 

Mucci warns, especially with the drug poisoning crisis, checking in on one another is needed more than ever. 

“They’re not going to be upset. There is a very poisonous drug supply out there. The reality is that when we check on each other, we’re finding humanity in one another. And we’re giving humanity back to other people because we’re saying, ‘Hey, I noticed you, your well-being matters to me, even if I don’t know you, and I just want to make sure,'” she said. 

“An overdose can happen to anyone anywhere anytime to anyone using drugs, and the need to check in on something can happen on the street, in the mall, at a barbecue this summer, there are people who are experimenting and are using drugs in all sorts of places.”

BC Housing and BC 211 both have lists of shelters and warming centres.