CALL TO ACTION ON OPIOIDS CRISIS

• It remains a mystery why Canada and the U.S. are the world’s heaviest opioid users, but Health Minister Jane Philpott thinks the answers may help solve what she considers a national public health crisis.

Philpott, a physician herself, said the problem has grown worse during the past several years and the number of overdoses and opioid-related deaths has continued to grow.

A number of theories persist, Philpott said in an interview, including relentless pressure from the pharmaceutical industry on North American health-care providers to use opioids extensively in treating chronic pain.

Opioids include prescription painkillers such as oxycodone, fentanyl and morphine, as well as illegal street drugs such as heroin.

One of the “unique realities” of the problem is that opioids play a legitimate role in responding to people with pain conditions, Philpott said. “People need to have access to these effective medications where used appropriately, but there is tremendous risk potential. People do become addicted to them and people die.”

Federal numbers show there were 74 overdose deaths in B.C. in January alone — a trend that means the total number of deaths in 2016 could far exceed the 474 deaths that occurred in the province the previous year.

An opioid summit scheduled for the fall will bring together players from across Canada to develop a joint plan, Philpott said.