Cities across B.C. plead for help to deal with opioid crisis
Credit to Author: Jennifer Saltman| Date: Tue, 24 Sep 2019 01:25:41 +0000
Frustrated mayors in communities across B.C. say they need more help from the provincial government to deal with addiction and the overdose crisis in their communities.
From Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver to the Okanagan and northwestern B.C., the mayors spoke about their struggles during a forum at the Union of B.C. Municipalities annual conference in Vancouver on Monday.
“We, like many communities, are drowning,” said Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog. “We need help in the worst way. And in the meantime, the reservoir of public sympathy is fast evaporating because of the level of crime linked to addiction.”
The forum heard that since a province-wide emergency was declared in April 2016, more than 4,000 people have died from overdoses in B.C. Last year, just over 1,500 people died.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said if there is any good news, it’s that the number of deaths this year to date (538) is about 30 per cent lower than in 2018. She said that number is still too high, with about three people dying every day.
“The thing that concerns me even more is we’re still seeing increasing numbers of people overdosing every day,” Henry said, calling it a sign that programs are working, but there are still people who are unable to stop using drugs.
And while Vancouver and the Lower Mainland receive much of the attention when it comes to addiction and overdose prevention and treatment, communities across B.C. are also in desperate need of help.
In Terrace, said Mayor Carol Leclerc, the number of people who are homeless and suffering from addiction has grown significantly over the past couple of years.
People are camping outside, crime has risen, there is vandalism and garbage, needles are discarded in parks and on streets, and business owners and residents have had enough.
The city has benefited from some provincial funding and programs, but it has also formed committees and task forces, hired private security and increased staffing, all of which have cost the municipality.
Leclerc said they need to adapt and serve the growing needs of Terrace and the surrounding area for which it serves as a hub.
“If we want to manage these problems before they get out of control, we need support from all levels of government,” she said.
Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart said he has seen support for those who suffer from addiction wane in his community because people don’t see enough being done to treat them, and he worries for other communities that have even fewer resources.
He summed his feelings up in two words: “Please, faster.”
Mental Health and Addictions Minister Judy Darcy pointed to programs that have been working, such as overdose prevention sites and safe prescription medication, but there is a gap when it comes to getting people into treatment and recovery programs. She said that there is more work to do.
“I want to assure you as a government, we’ll continue to escalate our response until we turn the tide on this crisis,” said Darcy.
Earlier in the day, Darcy announced that the province is providing $3.5 million to help B.C. communities, who she said are on the front lines, deal with the overdose crisis.
Local governments can apply for up to $50,000 in community wellness and harm reduction grants for projects such as community dialogues, needle distribution and recovery programs. A total of $1 million will be set aside for these grants.
Applications are at communityactioninitiative.ca/grants-training, and will be accepted until Nov. 1.
Thirty-five communities will also receive up to $150,000 for community action teams to ramp up local, integrated planning and strategies to respond to the crisis. There are 19 teams already in their second year of operation and 16 new teams will be established based on data and community need.
“Last year at UBCM, I heard loud and clear from local governments that they needed new tools and new funding in order to do this lifesaving work in their own communities,” said Darcy. “We listened, and that’s what brings us here today.”