B.C. toxic drug recommendations don’t go far enough, experts

Experts and advocates are saying the 37 recommendations laid out by a B.C. government committee don’t go far enough to address safe supply and the criminalization of drugs.

On Tuesday, the Select Standing Committee on Health laid out over-three dozen recommendations to address the toxic drug crisis in B.C. The proposal from the all-member committee came after a year-and-a-half of consultations with nearly 1,000 people.

Read More: B.C. committee gives recommendations to address toxic drug crisis

Included among the recommendations is the need for a safer supply of drugs, which the report says could happen through pharmacies and prescriptions. It also advises working with the federal government to “consider whether alternative models should be trialed or implemented.”

Executive Director of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU), Brittany Graham, says providing drugs through pharmacies won’t do enough to help people.

“Quite often, it’s not what they need, it’s not at the level that they need, it’s hard to get to their pharmacy every day…it’s a ton of limitations,” she told CityNews.

Graham says there are currently between 5,000 and 7,000 British Colombians who can currently access a safe supply of drugs through a pharmacy, but she estimates about 100,000 people are in need.

“If that’s what we’re offering now, when we have six people a day dying of an overdose crisis, it’s not enough,” she said.

Read More: Fraser Health becomes latest to implement toxic drug warning system

When looking at the report, Dave Hamm, a VANDU board member, commented on how little he saw regarding on-demand detox programs, which he says are needed when drug users have a “moment of clarity” and want to seek help.

“All it takes is for a person to have that moment, and they can’t have access. They have to wait a week,” he said of the current system for detox services.

Hamm would also like to see more support given to user groups like VANDU.

“I’m not saying that it’s all bad, and I’m really happy that they did this…I’m just saying that there’s certain points in here when it comes to drug user groups, and drug users that they maybe didn’t quite step-up, and really emphasize the certain needs,” he said.

Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health, Mark Haden, says the report’s discussion on safe supply is “vague,” and doesn’t go far enough to address the criminalization of drugs.

“I think we need to say ‘we have a problem.’ The problem is called drug prohibition [and] organized crime,” he said. “You can’t enforce your way out of the problem. We’ve tried for the last 120 years of drug prohibition, we know it doesn’t work. The evidence is compelling and clear.”

“It’s more than just safer supply, it’s actually allowing…people with addiction concerns legal access to a variety of opiates,” he explained.

According to the BC Coroner’s Service, over 10,000 people have died due to the toxic drug crisis since it was first declared in 2016.

In a statement to CityNews, Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe says she appreciates the committee recommendation of calling for the better evaluation and reporting of drug treatment outcomes.

“Information about outcomes is essential to ensure that services are evidence-based, and of value to those accessing them,” she said.

“There are many more valuable recommendations in this important report, and I am hopeful that they will be received by decision-makers with the open minds, and open hearts that were recognized as essential by the committee to end this crisis,” she explained.