Mental health, addictions front and centre at Kelowna forum as opioid crisis rages on | 24CA News
The opioid disaster in B.C. is nowhere close to being higher and specialists predict many extra individuals will lose their lives.
“People are going to die,” mentioned Dr. Rob Tanguay, an addictions psychiatrist and ache doctor.
Tanguay can also be co-chair of the 2023 Western Canada Addiction Forum happening in Kelowna on Friday and Saturday.
Since the general public well being emergency was declared seven years in the past, about 12,000 British Columbians have misplaced their lives to poisonous medication and Tanguay believes individuals are beginning to concentrate.
“I think one of the tides that’s shifting things is, this crisis has affected most of us,” Tanguay informed Global News. “Almost everyone knows someone who has been affected, harmed or died from addiction.”
The discussion board introduced collectively practically 200 specialists within the fields of habit and psychological well being.
“Nurses, doctors, social workers, therapists, they’re all here,” Tanguay mentioned.
In addition to studying new instruments to assist assist these combating psychological well being and habit, the specialists are additionally addressing methods to sort out the disaster and save lives.
“We’re not even treading water, we’re sinking,” mentioned Tanguay.
The opioid disaster claimed greater than 200 lives in B.C. within the month of April alone.
“Year on year, we’re losing upwards of 2,300 people at the moment, seven a day,” mentioned Keir Macdonald, CEO of Coast Mental Health. “It’s a staggering challenge for our communities and we’re here to talk about some of the solutions for that.”
One of the options Macdonald believes is secret is higher integration of providers.
“We have a lot of components in a system but not a true system,” Macdonald mentioned. “And how can we build that stronger integration between mental health, substance use, housing? There are so many components that go to help people recover and continue on their journey.”
Tanguay mentioned extra funding is required to bolster present providers and supply extra wraparound providers as nicely.
“You’re going to have to invest into a system of care for people, which includes recovery services, inpatient treatment services, outpatient treatment services, medications, and harm reduction services, and they all have to be available, ” Tanguay mentioned. “Right now, they’re not.”
Many on the discussion board agreed that habit must be handled like another well being situation.
“If I have cancer, I’m not on a waitlist for a year to see an oncologist but if I have addiction, I am,” Tanguay mentioned. “And until we treat addiction, like cancer, like heart disease, like any other health-care problem, we’re never going to get past it and quite frankly, this is because of discrimination, racism and a lack of political will to make a difference for all people.”
The discussion board continues on the Delta Grand Hotel on Saturday.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
