Municipal politicians wrestle with fallout from overdose crisis

The Union of B.C. Municipalities convention devoted an entire time slot to a session on the public health emergency of drug-related overdoses Tuesday, but could barely fill half the room.

“I don’t think it’s a lack of interest. I think it’s a level of frustration, that municipal politicians … feel helpless to address this issue,” said B.C. NDP Leader John Horgan, who this week blasted the provincial government for falling short on promised addiction treatment beds and a lack of support services.

“Year after year they [municipalities] say the downloading of services from the provincial government onto local government is their biggest challenge,” said Horgan, one of a few provincial politicians in the room.

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps and Coun. Marianne Alto were also present.

Provincial health officer Perry Kendall delivered an overview of the overdose crisis and how it has escalated in the past five years.

He noted there have been 488 overdose deaths in B.C. so far this year — a 61.6 per cent increase from the same period last year. “We are one track for between 600 and 700 overdose deaths this year,” Kendall said.

About 62 per cent of overdose deaths are related to fentanyl, a powerful opioid used in surgeries but easily manufactured and bought online.

“These deaths are the tip of the iceberg. For everyone that doesn’t survive, hundreds have received naloxone and were pulled back,” he said, noting 2,200 of the 14,000 naloxone kits given out have been used.

Mark Tyndall from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control spoke about the importance of safe injection sites, recognizing this can be a contentious subject for municipal leaders.

“The merits of harm reduction are not up for debate,” Tyndall said. “If we listen to people’s needs it’s loud and clear this [safe injection sites] is what they’re asking for.”

He said the community and municipal governments are crucial in making change happen quickly.

Vancouver councillor Kerry Jang tried to rally his fellow municipal politicians.

“We have land-use powers, we have advocacy powers. We work with our first responders,” he said, noting creating housing for people at-risk and lobbying the federal government to make safe injection sites easier to open are places to start.

The session ended with comments from frustrated first responders.

“Three weeks ago I attended an overdose call. … When we arrived there were three empty bottles of Narcan [naloxone]. The fellow was given three vials and it wasn’t enough. He needed to go to the hospital,” said Sophia Georgas. The Vancouver paramedic said her union, the Ambulance Paramedics of B.C., wants more support and collaboration from the government.

Some of the ideas include community paramedics dedicated to areas with illicit drug users, drugtesting and the ability for paramedics to make referrals.