- Media Advisory -

- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -

June 1, 2016. VICTORIA, BC - Local group erects 600 crosses to decry overdose deaths in BC; Provincial and national groups urge immediate action.

Local health advocates, Yes2SCS (Yes to Supervised Consumption Services), will erect 600 crosses on Harris Green between Cook and Vancouver Street on unceded Coast and Straits Salish territories. This installment gives form to the 600-800 people the Province of BC predicts could die from overdose in 2016, a stark increase from the 480 fatal overdoses reported in 2015. Provincially, overdose deaths reported from January to April 2016 are occurring at 2x's the rate that was experienced in 2015.

According to the most recent BC Coroner's report, in the first 4 months of 2016 there has already been 54 reported overdose deaths, 17 of which occurred in Victoria.

Today’s action coincides with the release of a letter (see attached PDF) signed by national and provincial organizations that calls on the provincial government and regional health authorities to respond to the overdose crisis by taking immediate action to establish supervised consumption services (SCS) in communities across BC. In over 90 SCS world wide, there has not been one overdose death.

"If this were any other population, action would have already been taken. Supervised consumption facilities will prevent needless deaths" says Jordan Westfall, President of the Canadian Association of People who Use Drugs.

On April 14, 2016, the BC Government declared a Public Health Emergency on the dramatic surge in overdoses across the province and committed to collect “real time data” so that people will be better informed of the “risks” they face.

“The Province is showing leadership by calling the public health crisis and this needs to include immediate provincial funding to the agencies directly responding to the overdose crisis. We need the province to facilitate the provision of supervised consumption services to support existing harm reduction efforts throughout the province” says Mark Willson, Yes2SCS member.