Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Amandalina Letterio

Opioid Crisis

Kamloops advocate says drug policy change is long overdue

Feb 9, 2022 | 4:20 PM

KAMLOOPS — B.C.’s chief coroner gave a disheartened update about the province’s 2021 illicit drug death toll.

With more than 2200 overdose deaths in total, B.C. saw a 26 per cent increase over 2020. Of those who died, 77 were in Kamloops — ranking the city sixth in the province.

Sandra Tully is a local advocate for drug policy change. She says it’s long overdue for the government to find a solution.

“We need to look at solutions that are going to save people. If this were any other substance, if alcohol was being tainted by some unknown source, they would fix that. They need to fix this,” Tully says.

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The topic of overdose deaths resonates with Tully. She lost her oldest son, Ryan, in 2016.

“He had purchased a pill off the street, thought it was oxy, took half a pill. I found the other half of the pill on his desk, and it obviously had a hotspot of fentanyl. It had nothing else in it and it killed him immediately,” she explains.

Moms Stop the Harm calls for the safe supply of a regulated substance, decriminalization of personal amounts, and treatment for people with addictions.

According to Lisa LaPointe, the province has the same goals and is urging the federal government to make changes.

“Our province has asked the Government of Canada for an exemption to the controlled drugs and substances act that would in effect decriminalize the possession of drugs for personal use,” LaPointe says.

B.C. also has illicit drug testing sites set up all over the province to reduce harm. Four sites are in Kamloops.

Kile McKenna administers testing at ASK Wellness Society where users can get their drugs checked by dropping them off at the big red door. He says fentanyl is detected often.

“The vast majority of the down, or the opioids or heroin, let’s say, I would say well over 90 per cent of it does contain fentanyl,” he told CFJC News.

The Coroners Service says 71 per cent of those who died of suspected overdoses in 2021 were between the ages of 30 and 59. Tully says we can all work toward a solution by ending the stigma.

“That brings it out into the open. And then, if somebody’s looking for assistance, they’ve opened that conversation so that they can go to that person and say ‘Hey, I need help now, help me find my path,'” said Tully says.

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