Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. coroner wants action on safer drug supply

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 12 Apr, 2022 02:45 PM
  • B.C. coroner wants action on safer drug supply

VANCOUVER - British Columbia's coroner says over 9,400 people in the province have died of an overdose from toxic illicit drugs since the government declared a public health emergency six years ago.

Lisa Lapointe says urgent action is needed to decriminalize small amounts of drugs for personal use and to provide more people with a safer supply of substances that would replace the profit-driven illicit market.

Lapointe says she understands that the concept of a safer drug supply is difficult for some people to understand, given decades of a punitive, enforcement-based approach to substance use, but more people will die without a regulated source of drugs in every part of the province.

She says an average of six people die every day in B.C., with most of the fatalities occurring in Vancouver, Surrey and Victoria.

Lapointe released a report in March calling on the province to develop a policy to distribute a safer supply of drugs with a plan that would see action taken over 30, 60 and 90 says.

Mental Health and Addictions Minister Sheila Malcolmson says she could not immediately provide details on how many people are accessing a safer supply of drugs, but it's been particularly challenging to recruit and retain nurse practitioners and doctors to prescribe substitute medications in the region covered by the Northern Health authority.

The coroner also said preliminary data shows at least 174 people died in February from overdoses.

"The deaths of another 174 B.C. residents, so many of them young and middle-aged men with years of life ahead of them, is yet another reminder that urgent action is needed on a provincewide scale," Lapointe said in a statement.

MORE National ARTICLES

BC Premier John Horgan tests positive for COVID19

BC Premier John Horgan tests positive for COVID19
Horgan says his symptoms are mild and he is isolating and working from home. He recently underwent treatment of his throat cancer and was back in his office in January.

BC Premier John Horgan tests positive for COVID19

Woman sexually assaulted during the early morning hours in an Abbotsford parking lot

Woman sexually assaulted during the early morning hours in an Abbotsford parking lot
A woman was reported walking through a local business parking lot when she was approached by an unknown man driving a grey or silver van. During this encounter, the victim was sexually assaulted. The suspect male is described as South Asian, 30 years of age, with short brown hair and a beard.

Woman sexually assaulted during the early morning hours in an Abbotsford parking lot

Canadians becoming more divided: survey

Canadians becoming more divided: survey
The national phone survey by the Canadian Hub for Applied and Social Research at the University of Saskatchewan was done between March 7 and March 24. It asked 1,011 people about the issues that divide them the most.

Canadians becoming more divided: survey

Vancouver home sales up 27% since February: board

Vancouver home sales up 27% since February: board
The B.C. board says last month's sales totalled 4,344, a 27 per cent increase from 3,424 homes sold in February 2022 and a 24 per cent decrease from the 5,708 sales recorded in March 2021.

Vancouver home sales up 27% since February: board

Parliamentary secretary’s statement on Sikh Heritage Month

Parliamentary secretary’s statement on Sikh Heritage Month
“More than 100 years ago, the first gurdwara in our province opened its doors in Vancouver. Now British Columbia is home to one of the largest Sikh populations outside of India, and our province is honoured to dedicate this month to acknowledge and celebrate the rich culture and diversity the Sikh community brings."

Parliamentary secretary’s statement on Sikh Heritage Month

357 COVID19 cases for Friday

357 COVID19 cases for Friday
There are 274 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 35 are in intensive care. In the past 24 hours, 4 new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 3,002.

357 COVID19 cases for Friday