MEDIA ADVISORY July 21, 2016. VICTORIA, BC - Lo

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Published on Tuesday, 02 August 2016 09:45

Written by editor

- MEDIA ADVISORY -

- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -

July 21, 2016. VICTORIA, BC - Local group honours International Drug Users Memorial Day; Recent BC Coroner’s Report highlights the unprecedented rates of overdose deaths continuing to devastate communities across the Province.

Today is International Drug Users Memorial Day. We honour, remember, and mourn the many lives lost: our mothers, daughters, sisters, fathers, sons, our families and friends who have lost their lives to the war on drugs. Our thoughts are with all loved ones and every person who uses drugs on this day.

We continue to lose loved ones to overdose deaths and according to the BC Centre for Disease Control (CDC), this epidemic shows no signs of stopping. By the end of 2016, we could witness over 800 deaths due to preventable overdoses, almost double the death toll of 483 people who perished in BC in 2015.

It has been more than three months since provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall declared a public health emergency, and we have yet to see the implementation of supervised consumption services (SCS) here in Victoria. Since Kendall’s announcement the number of overdose deaths in Victoria has doubled. The call for more surveillance and monitoring when action is needed is impeding the implementation of these desperately needed services as overdoses (fatal and non-fatal) continue to significantly impact our community.

“Life won’t wait. Not only do we need SCS in our community immediately, we need it to be properly funded and staffed, culturally safe, and made accessible to all potential service users”, said Katie Lacroix, Chair of the Board of SOLID (Society of Living Illicit Drug Users).

Starting today and ending on International Overdose Awareness Day (August 31), we will be launching a series of multimedia infographics to illustrate Island Health’s ineffectiveness in establishing SCS. We ask that you continue to tell your officials and Island Health that you want to see SCS being provided in your community immediately.

Media contacts:

Katie Lacroix - SOLID