The BC Coroner Service released the number of drug deaths in March and it’s not good news.
February had seen a bit of a decline, with 102 deaths, but March saw a spike, with 161 suspected illicit drug overdose deaths in the province. That’s the second highest monthly total to date, the Coroner Service tells us.
As you let those numbers sink in, consider that fentanyl was detected in more than eight in every 10 of those deaths. And that seven in every 10 of those who died were between 19 years old and 49.
Fentanyl is cutting a deadly swath through our adult population. There’s simply no denying it. Our drug strategies are not working. The death toll continues to rise, seemingly with no end in sight.
Comox Valley communities, of course, have seen nowhere near the number of deaths experienced in the city of Vancouver, but we shouldn’t be complacent. Our communities have been hit as well. And it’s important to realize that it’s not just downtown Courteany’s homeless population that is fighting and losing this battle with opioids.
Most of those who have died have done so indoors — according to the Coroner Service stats, more than 90 per cent. And none of them have died at an overdose prevention site. No, it is those who are hiding their addiction behind the doors of their homes, in ordinary neighbourhoods, who make up a significant portion of those most at risk.
We’ve seen the horrific suggestion that we should just throw up our hands and let those who are addicted die, as if somehow they’ve brought a death sentence upon themselves. The lack of compassion and understanding of the problem is frightening. People need help, and real avenues to access the necessary services, not thoughtless armchair judgments on how deserving they are to stay alive.
Is it finally time to decriminalize simple possession of all drugs (not trafficking, production and the like), and treat addiction like the health crisis it is? We need to try something new.
–Black Press