A British Columbia well being knowledgeable says the province wants extra overdose prevention websites and a renewed dedication to decriminalization because it tries to curb drug poisonings that kill six individuals a day.
Dr. Reka Gustafson, the chief medical well being officer for Island Health, informed about 300 dependancy consultants assembly in Victoria that drug therapy insurance policies and applications will need to have the identical standing as another well being service.
Gustafson says devoted most cancers therapy amenities and anti-alcohol initiatives are confirmed measures and approaches that will profit dependancy therapy in B.C.
She says the province should do extra to embrace overdose prevention websites as locations that save lives and proceed to help its decriminalization program regardless of the latest public debate about open drug use in public locations.
Gustafson says well being consultants made a mistake through the pandemic telling individuals to isolate themselves with the intention to cease the unfold of COVID-19, solely to have overdose deaths spike.
About 13,000 individuals have died of drug overdoses in B.C. for the reason that province declared a public well being emergency in April 2016 because the opioid fentanyl made its means into the illicit market.
Gustafson says extra work should be even be completed by governments and dependancy researchers to compile and evaluation knowledge on which therapy applications do and don’t work.
