TACKLING A TRAGEDY
Alarming words such as crisis, state of emergency, toxic and deadly are being bandied about. While they do impart a sense of concern, words that better convey the urgency of the situation would be more appropriate: catastrophic, decimation, annihilation.
With at least 139 deaths related to drug overdose in the past two years, the Stoney Nakoda reserve at Morley is facing a tragedy of epic proportions. And before anyone scoffs at that notion, consider how those numbers would translate in Calgary.
Those deaths on the reserve of 6,000 residents amount to 2.3 per cent of the population. That would equal 28,500 overdose victims in Calgary. Can you imagine the shock, the outcry, the worldwide response and immediate call to action if more than 28,000 Calgarians overdosed in two years? That same reaction is needed now. It’s commendable and courageous of the Stoney Nakoda to call for help publicly, after unsuccessfully trying to stem the tide for years. Their leaders have recognized the limitations of reserve resources and now need the assistance of the provincial and federal governments.
But where to begin? Determining authority for and delivery of health care, policing and social services for First Nations is complex and complicated. Band governments are notoriously slow moving. The root causes of addictions are myriad and long-standing. There are a hundred ways this could get bogged down by bureaucracy, inertia and the sheer magnitude of the problem.
But perhaps the first step is the simple acknowledgment that there is a crisis and that all three levels of government will need to collaborate if there’s any hope to overcome it.
One immediate need is for accurate statistics. How many residents are suffering from addictions and what drugs are they taking? The Stoney Nakoda are not alone in not knowing the extent of the problem. Prescription opioid numbers are not tracked, nor are deaths unless they are related to fentanyl. While much of the addiction problem in Morley and elsewhere in Alberta is due to an illicit form of this highly potent painkiller, there are other drugs being abused as well. Knowing what they’re dealing with will help focus health-care resources on treating and monitoring dependencies.
Once the medical needs are looked after comes the harder work of dealing with patients’ emotional and psychological trauma — the root causes of addiction. Continued collaboration will be needed so First Nations can find a better path, one that guarantees the survival of their people.