Purple ribbons and chalk-outlines of bodies were placed in Hyack Square as poignant reminders of lives lost to illicit drug deaths.
Aug. 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day, an annual worldwide campaign aimed at ending overdoses and remembering – without stigma – those who have died.
Moms Stop the Harm, a group that advocates to end substance-use related stigma, harms and death, is calling for “an end to the failed war on drugs” through evidence-based prevention, treatment and policy change. It supports a harm-reduction approach that is both compassionate and non-discriminatory for people who use substances.
In the lead-up to Overdose Awareness Day, Moms Stop the Harm drew the outlines of bodies in purple chalk in Hyack Square. Cards with information about overdoses and Overdose Awareness Day were hung on the pedestrian overpass leading to the Quay.
"Innocent people of all ages, every community, every race, every socioeconomic stratum are dying of toxic drugs in B.C. and across Canada,” Leslie McBain, co-founder of Moms Stop the Harm, said in a press release. “There are viable solutions to actually stop the deaths. We must push the governments to immediately implement a safe regulated supply of the drugs people need. We must stop the preventable deaths of our loved ones."
According to the BC Coroners Service, 35 people in New Westminster died because of the tainted drug supply in 2020. That was an increase from the 20 deaths in 2019 and a slight decrease from the 36 deaths in 2018.
Preliminary statistics from the coroners’ service indicate there were 24 illicit drug toxicity deaths in New West in the first six months of 2021. The data is subject to change as investigations are concluded.
The BC Coroners Service is reporting that at least 1,011 British Columbians lost their lives to suspected illicit drug toxicity in B.C. between January and June 2021.
"The deaths of more than 1,000 British Columbians in the first six months of 2021 is a tragic reminder that the toxic illicit drug supply remains a significant ongoing threat to public health and safety in communities throughout our province," chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said in an Aug. 31 news release. "The data released today highlights the immensity of this public health emergency and the need for a wide-scale response. This includes removing barriers to safe supply, ensuring timely access to evidence-based affordable treatment and providing those experiencing problematic substance use with compassionate and viable options to reduce risks and save lives."
The BC Coroners Service states 159 British Columbians died in June as a result of drug toxicity, which was the ninth consecutive month in which at least 150 British Columbians died as a result of the toxic drug supply.
“The total number of lives lost between January and June is the highest recorded in the first six months of a calendar year,” said the press release. “Drug toxicity is now the leading cause of death in B.C. for those aged 19 to 39 and is second in terms of reducing total potential years of life.”
According to the BC Coroners Service, the illicit drug supply in B.C. is both variable and increasingly toxic, with extreme fentanyl concentrations and carfentanil showing up more frequently in toxicology testing. Post-mortem testing shows that fentanyl continues to be the substance involved in most drug-toxicity deaths – 85% in the first six months of 2021. Cocaine, methamphetamine and etizolam are also present in significant numbers of deaths.
The coroners services states that data confirms, as it has throughout this public health emergency, that illicit substances are driving this health crisis; prescribed safe supply is not playing a role in the ongoing drug-toxicity crisis.
"Today is International Overdose Awareness Day; a day in which we remember and mourn the family members, friends and neighbours we've lost to drug toxicity," Lapointe said. "To the thousands of B.C. families grieving the loss of a beloved family member, I extend my heartfelt condolences and my hope that the stories you've shared will continue to influence positive change. Those who died mattered and their loss is felt deeply, and we must continue to urge those in positions of influence across our province and the country to move to urgently implement measures to prevent more unnecessary suffering and death."
In an effort to reduce the number of people dying locally of overdose deaths, New Westminster city council directed staff in July 2020 to work with Fraser Health on an overdose prevention site and the development of a safe supply program. A health contact centre, which includes an safe consumption site, opened on Begbie Street in downtown New West in April.
"Since opening in April, the health contact centre has had over 600 visits and staff have responded to and reversed dozens of overdoses," said Lynda Fletcher-Gordon, acting executive director of the Lower Mainland Purpose Society. "Beyond that, we make multiple referrals on a daily basis to necessary services, including health care and substance-use recovery programs. Most importantly, we have made connections and built positive relationships with clients, showing them that they are part of a community that supports and values them as human beings, a community that won't turn its back on them in a time of crisis."
Earlier this year, New Westminster city council called on the federal government to help save lives by declaring the overdose crisis a national public health emergency. A motion approved by council asked the federal government to immediately seek input from the people most affected by the crisis and to meet with the provinces and territories to develop a comprehensive, pan-Canadian overdose action plan.
What’s happening today in New West?
The Lower Mainland Purpose Society, which operates the health contact centre, will be setting up across the street from the New Westminster SkyTrain station on Eighth Street. From 1 to 3:30 p.m., folks will be able to stop by and get Naloxone, Overdose Awareness Day pins and wristbands.
During that time, people will also be able to write messages on a poster to loved ones they’ve lost during the ongoing crisis.
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