Parents gather to raise awareness for the opioid crisis (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

OPIOID CRISIS

New ideas needed as the opioid crisis marks its sixth anniversary

Apr 14, 2022 | 5:02 PM

KAMLOOPS — Parents from Moms-Stop-the-Harm gathered this afternoon (Apr. 14) to continue bringing much needed attention to the crisis that claimed the lives of their sons.

Six years have passed in which 9,410 moms, dads, brothers, and sisters have been lost. Over half a decade of perceived inaction by those at the heart of the crisis.

“My son Ryan passed away in January of 2016,” says Sandra Tully, “And when they made the declaration in April, I thought, okay something is going to happen, there is going to be a change, we’ll save people’s lives. Unfortunately, what we’ve seen is an increase of people dying.”

“The experts are telling the government what to do, and they are finding all kinds of red tape to not do what is needed. It is very frustrating,” said Troylana Manson – who lost her son last year.

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Stigma around the overdose crisis remains, with many still believing that the issue only effects those living on the streets. But the latest statistics from the coroners office show over 85 per cent of deaths occur in homes.

“The perception, the stereotype of the past is that people who die of substance use and people injecting drugs in a back-alley. And in fact that is not the case for the vast majority of people that die,” said Lisa Lapointe, B.C. Chief Coroner. “It’s very much a challenge that effects all of us.”

“I lost my son in July 2017, he had a good job, he was trying to get a good start in life,” said Char Monk.

A clinic in Vancouver has started to prescribe fentanyl. The program is designed to ensure that people can get a safe supply of a street drug causing immense harm. The project has just begun but it’s already being praised as a step forward.

“That is a fantastic idea, and it’s the kind of bold, initiative action that we have been looking to our medical professionals and our health care providers and people of influence because that is a guaranteed safe supply,” added Lapointe. “It is to keep people alive.”

“I think it is a fabulous idea, I think that doctor is so brave to institute this kind of program and I do think it will save people,” said Tully.

“It’s all the over drugs, the cocaine, the meth, and all the party drugs that have fentanyl in it. They are not taking those drugs knowing that’s in there. That’s the poison, not knowing what’s in your drugs,” said Manson.