THE all-party Select Standing Committee on Health has released its report on the drug toxicity and overdose crisis with 37 recommendations aimed at saving lives and moving British Columbia out of the current public health emergency.

“We heard that some British Columbians are not able to access life-saving supports and services, either because they aren’t available in their community or because of other barriers,” said Niki Sharma, committee chair. “The committee’s report makes recommendations to further scale up government’s response to ensure that all British Columbians can access high-quality substance-use support and care when they need it.”

Shirley Bond, deputy chair, said: “There is no one-size-fits-all response to this crisis. The committee wants to see significant investments across the entire continuum of care – from prevention and education to treatment and recovery – as well as ongoing evaluation and monitoring to ensure results are achieved.”

In the course of its work, the committee received briefings from federal and provincial government ministries and agencies, health authorities and other experts. The committee also held public hearings and invited written input to ensure all British Columbians had the opportunity to participate. The committee heard from 118 presenters and received 881 written submissions.

“We were profoundly moved by what we heard from British Columbians, both those who are directly impacted by this crisis and those working on the front lines to save lives,” Sharma said. “On behalf of the committee, I want to thank everyone who took the time to share their thoughts and their stories with us.”

Further information about the committee, including its report, Closing Gaps, Reducing Barriers: Expanding the response to the toxic drug and overdose crisis, is available here: www.leg.bc.ca/cmt/health

MEANWHILE, Sonia Furstenau, Leader of the BC Greens, in a statement said that the following is what they heard from consultation on the committee:

• Most people are dying at home, alone. The people most impacted are Indigenous women, young men, and people working in the trades, transport, or as equipment operators.

• Overdose prevention sites and drug checking are critical to preventing deaths, but many communities don’t have them, often because of local resistance.

• An overwhelmingly positive response that safe supply can work. But we heard several challenges with the way our current safer supply model is working – there is a lack of prescribers, and those with prescriptions are forced to line up every day for their supply, and that most of what’s available doesn’t meet people’s needs.

• Indigenous women are disproportionately impacted by this crisis, and that substance use is driven by ongoing colonialism, racism, and intergenerational trauma.

• Mental health supports are lacking and underfunded.

• About why people turn to drugs – homelessness, poverty, mental health issues, or being dependent on opiates that had been prescribed for pain relief.

• Drug use is polarizing, and this political sensitivity has inhibited this government from taking bold action.
• Non-prescriber models of safe supply are critical to saving lives. We heard from health authorities, from the BC Centre for Substance Use, and the BC Association of Chiefs of Police, that we must urgently move towards non-prescriber models and low-barrier safe supply.

SHEILA Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, said in a statement:

“The poisoned drug supply is taking the lives of our loved ones, with a disproportionate impact on Indigenous people. This is unacceptable. We must end this tragic loss of life.

“I am grateful to the committee for their hard work on this complex and evolving public-health emergency. Thanks also to the nearly 1,000 people, organizations and subject-matter experts who shared their advice and personal experience with the committee.

“The recommendations from the Special Committee on Health on the illicit drug toxicity and overdose crisis reaffirm the tools our government is using to tackle the public-health emergency in British Columbia.

“Over the past five years, our government has been building a system of mental-health and substance-use care; one that didn’t exist prior to 2017. From investments into new treatment, more supports for young people and new overdose prevention measures, our government has scaled up and expanded access to make sure when people ask for help, services are available for them.

“The committee’s report and recommendations reinforce our government’s continued action to expand and build new supports and services throughout the province. As the illicit drug supply gets increasingly more toxic, we face a rising tide of need in British Columbia. There is more to do to tackle this public-health emergency. We will not stop working until we turn this crisis around and people in our province can get the help they need.”

The members of the committee are:

* Niki Sharma, MLA, Vancouver-Hastings (chair);

* Shirley Bond, MLA, Prince George-Valemount (deputy chair);

* Pam Alexis, MLA, Abbotsford-Mission;

* Susie Chant, MLA, North Vancouver-Seymour;

* Dan Davies, MLA, Peace River North;

* Sonia Furstenau, MLA, Cowichan Valley;

* Trevor Halford, MLA, Surrey-White Rock;

* Ronna-Rae Leonard, MLA, Courtenay-Comox;

* Doug Routley, MLA, Nanaimo-North Cowichan; and

* Mike Starchuk, MLA, Surrey-Cloverdale.