Image Credit: Flickr / Government of BC

By James Peters

Two & Out

PETERS: Horgan’s verbal diarrhea on the overdose crisis a serious misstep

Jul 17, 2020 | 10:29 AM

A DELEGATION TO KAMLOOPS COUNCIL this week emphasized the importance of minding our language when talking about addiction and substance use disorder.

Two days later, it became apparent that the delegation should book a spot with Premier John Horgan next.

At his weekly media briefing, a reporter posed a question to Horgan comparing the government’s responses to the two public health emergencies ravaging B.C. right now.

Horgan clearly bristled at comparing COVID-19 to opioid overdoses.

Two and Out

PETERS: Whether building up or tearing down, Kamloops is what you make it

16h ago

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: How to reduce food waste in Kamloops during the festive season

22h ago

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: December 12, 2024

Dec 12, 2024

The way it came out, though, was dismissive of the latter.

Horgan said people using drugs are making choices — and almost as soon as it came out of his mouth, he began backpedalling furiously.

He threw in the word ‘initially’ to try to dampen the damage, but dug deeper when he said, “once people make those choices, they’re no longer in a position to stop making those choices.”

A bit of verbal diarrhea that the opposition B.C. Liberals have since sought to capitalize upon.

COVID-19 and the opioid overdose crisis are two different situations and require different responses from government – but it’s not because of choices.

Tell that to the person who was prescribed opioids for pain treatment after a personal injury or medical condition.

There’s little choice in the matter when a doctor, however well-meaning, says this is the best way to get your pain under control.

Anyone who has struggled with substance use disorder would have heard these comments and felt their premier and their government are out of touch with the health realities.

What Horgan should have said is, literally everyone who breathes is in danger of contracting COVID-19.

That’s not the case with opioid overdoses, but opioid overdoses have proven far more deadly.

Not only that, they involve an element of criminality on the trafficking side and stigma on the using side that makes those taking part in the at-risk behaviour far more likely to do it in the shadows.

It’s likely this was a case of clumsy off-the-cuff speech, and at another news conference Friday morning, Horgan expressed regret over his wording.

He said he mischaracterized the challenges of addiction.

Horgan is correct; it was a mischaracterization and a big misstep at a time of public health crisis when British Columbians are relying on their government not to make missteps.

——

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.