Media Advisory: 55 days of in action on public health emergency. Urging immediate action at BC Overdose Action Exchange held tomorrow in Vancouver.

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Published on Friday, 10 June 2016 14:45
Written by editor

JUNE 8, 2016. VICTORIA, BC - Victoria harm reduction advocates call for provincial funds to address public health emergency; BC Overdose Action Exchange held tomorrow in Vancouver.

Two months have passed since the Government of British Columbia declared a public health emergency in response to the unprecedented high rate of fatal and non-fatal overdoses this year. BC has yet to implement the services needed to help prevent the 800 overdose deaths predicted to occur in 2016.

On June 9th, the BC Centre for Disease Control (B.C.C.D.C) will host 80 individuals representing regional and provincial bodies, including the Health Officer of BC, the BC Coroners Service, and local service providers, to discuss the response to this overdose crisis. Yes2SCS (Yes to Supervised Consumption Services) says it is critical that the Province move beyond surveillance and monitoring, and take immediate steps to ensure effective health care services are provided across BC for people who use drugs. Service providers and drug user groups affiliated with Yes2SCS will be attending the meeting and pushing for supervised consumption services.


“Tomorrow’s meeting must include an announcement of funding for the implementation of supervised consumption services in communities across BC,” says Alex Holtom of Yes2SCS. “Countless studies have shown that supervised injection services save lives by preventing fatal overdoses and by connecting service users to other critical health care and social services. The efficacy of these services is clear, documented and unassailable.”


“The current focus on Naloxone and education are important parts of a response, but are insufficient to address this emergency on their own,” says Shane Calder of Yes2SCS. “People know that Fentanyl is out there, they know the risks, and they are accessing Naloxone already and it simply hasn’t been enough. It is also critical that the Provincial government strongly urge the Federal government to repeal the Respect for Communities act (formerly Bill C2) as a tremendous impediment to the swift implementation of supervised injection services.”

- Media Advisory

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