B.C. officials respond to 'fear-based' rhetoric about safer supply programs
Despite "anecdotal information and allegations," there is no evidence that a prescribed safe supply of opioids is being diverted and causing increased harm and death – specifically among youth, B.C.'s chief coroner said Monday.
"We are focused on saving lives. We are focused on reducing harms," Lisa Lapointe said during a news conference.
"We have seen far too many – far too many – lives lost, and far too many suffering in our communities. And we have been concerned about this increasingly polarized rhetoric that is not informed by evidence — that is not paying attention to evidence, as a matter of fact.”
Lisa Lapointe made that statement Monday alongside other officials who gathered to counter what they described as divisive politicking and harmful claims around the toxic drug crisis and the province's response.
No specific politician or incident was highlighted, and when asked if they were responding to the federal Conservative leader's comments or his recent motion to end funding for safe supply programs, none pointed the finger at Pierre Poilievre.
"We are standing together saying fear-based, polarizing rhetoric that is not evidence-informed is causing harm," Jennifer Charlesworth, the representative for children and youth said in response to a reporter asking why the news conference was being held given that no announcements were made and no new information was released.
The provincial health officer, the head of the First Nations Health Authority and the representative for children and youth joined Lapointe for a news conference at which no new information was released and no announcement was made.
"We are standing together saying fear-based, polarizing rhetoric that is not evidence-informed is causing harm," Jennifer Charlesworth, the representative for children and youth said in response to a reporter asking why the news conference was being held.
Among the issues raised was the notion that hydromorphone being prescribed through the province's limited safe supply programs is "flooding the streets" and causing an increase in harm and death, particularly among youth. The evidence, all of the officials said, does not indicate that is happening.
"We aren't seeing any indication in our data in the stories we track that youth are using from diverted safe supply. The injuries and deaths reported to our office are coming as a result of youth accessing the illicit supply, and these youth are typically using a range of substances," Charlesworth said.
"Young people are struggling and the illicit supply is so poisoned that the risks of youth use, whether through experimentation, occasional or regular use, are extraordinarily high."
In addition, Charlesworth said deaths can only be prevented if policies and programs are developed that respond to what is actually happening.
"When public policy is being driven by fear, by polarized opinion, by anecdotes – it actually causes harm," she said.
Lapointe said fentanyl remains the leading cause of poisoning – present in 86 per cent of deaths -- but also that most post-mortem toxicology reports show the presence of multiple substances.
Further, she said hydromorphone, in isolation, is not present in any significant numbers for any age group.
Young people are dying from toxic drugs. Thirty-four British Columbians under 19 died in 2022 and 327 people between 19 and 29 lost their lives. As is the case for every single age group, those are the highest numbers of fatalities recorded since 2012.
"Given that lives are at stake, this is not a time for division, but for people from all walks of life and political persuasions to come together with a common purpose to find creative solutions to a problem that affects us all in some way – and especially those who use drugs, their friends, their families and their co-workers,” said Dr. Kelsey Louie, deputy chief medical officer of the First Nations Health Authority.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.