Expert joins auditor general’s call for B.C. to improve harm reduction programs

After a government audit found B.C.’s Mental Health and Addictions Ministry didn’t do enough to properly implement harm reduction and safe supply programs, an expert is explaining why those programs are so crucial.

The programs in question cover publicly funded overdose prevention sites and prescription drug alternatives for people with substance use disorders. These programs were put in place in response to B.C.’s toxic, unregulated drug crisis, which has killed least 14,000 British Columbians since 2016.

Auditor General Michael Pickup’s report says the ministry’s programs lacked consultation and service standards, and its own information on overdose prevention failed to keep up with the changing toxic drug supply.

“One of the points coming out of this audit is these two ministries need to work more effectively with partners to overcome the barriers, overcome the challenges, and that is what we’re not seeing,” Pickup said.

“We’re not seeing an effective engagement and solutions to deal with these issues. People know this is an issue, this has been going on for a while.”

Guy Felicella, a harm reduction and recovery expert, says the need to scale up these harm reduction services, such as overdose prevention sites and prescribed safer supply services, is immense.

“We do have a government that’s in power that supports both of those services. However, what we don’t have is municipalities that support accessing those services in their communities,” Felicella said.

Pickup put forward seven recommendations for the ministry to fix their shortcomings, including creating an action plan to address barriers to harm reduction services — which the report says are not widespread enough in B.C.

Recently, the Richmond community pushed back against a proposed overdose prevention site at its hospital.

“(If) you can’t access harm reduction services, you’re obviously going to be left to your own devices,” Felicella added. “And in today’s crisis, that’s sadly life-ending.”

The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions said Minister Jennifer Whiteside was unavailable for an interview. But in a statement, she says she acknowledges the “persistent barriers” in making these programs work and the ministry fully accepts all of the recommendations.

Premier David Eby commented on the report at a press conference Tuesday.

“Our metric of success is driving down the number of deaths that we’re seeing and that is our core focus,” he said.

“My belief is we need to dramatically increase the availability of treatment and drop the barriers to get people into detox and treatment so they can rebuild their lives.”

But the deaths are not going down.

Last year the BC Coroner Service recorded 2,511 drug poisoning deaths, which was the most ever reported in a year.

Pickup’s report also comes in the wake of recent drug busts in B.C., where police misleadingly suggested prescription safe supply was getting resold on the street despite a lack of evidence, and as politicians and pundits attack the province’s safe supply program.

“The sad part of all of it is that a lot of the politics behind it is that people are talking more about the response to the toxic drug supply – which isn’t killing anybody – (and) not talking about what is killing people: the toxic drug supply.”