The leader of the sa国际传媒 Greens says the province must do more to address the ongoing overdose crisis, using a compassionate approach.
On Wednesday, the sa国际传媒 Coroners Service said 147 people died from illicit drug overdoses, a decrease from 176 in July and a record number of 181 illicit drug overdose deaths in June.
鈥淭oday鈥檚 devastating overdose numbers from the coroner demonstrate that we are not doing enough to address this crisis,鈥� said Sonia Furstenau. 鈥淭here is clear provincial action that could be taken. Dr. Bonnie Henry has laid it out. So far the NDP have chosen to ignore her advice and leave it to Ottawa. The sa国际传媒 Greens have been calling for the adoption of her advice for months.鈥�
On Monday, after calling a provincial election, sa国际传媒 Premier John Horgan said the lack of support in the legislature for a bill that would see youth temporarily held in hospital for observation following an opioid overdose was the 鈥渄eciding issue鈥� for him.
The bill would have allowed hospitals to involuntarily keep youths, under age 19, for 48 hours after an overdose. That could be extended another five days, allowing clinicians to stabilize them, contact a parent and create a plan for voluntary help.
But with a lack of support in the legislature, as well as criticism from sa国际传媒 Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe, child and youth watchdog Jennifer Charlesworth, the Union of sa国际传媒 Indian Chiefs and the sa国际传媒 Civil Liberties Association, the provincial government was forced to pause Bill 22.
鈥淭he one of concern to me was the one to do with mental health and whether or not a medical practitioner, or a doctor, could keep a minor, a child, who had been admitted with an overdose under observation for a week,鈥� said Horgan.
鈥淭hat was what we were asking to do. And there were people in the legislature that did not support that and having met with parents who鈥檝e lost children, I was not prepared to accept that, but it seemed OK to others in the legislature and I鈥檒l leave it at that.鈥�
After shelving the proposed legislation, Judy Darcy, minister of mental health and addictions, said the province would re-engage with people with a wide variety of views on this issue. Darcy announced last week she is not seeking re-election.
Furstenau said the Greens listened to experts, including Lapointe, when they voiced concerns about the NDP鈥檚 plan to detain youth in hospital.
鈥淭he experts were clear that this could actually lead to increased fatalities and would violate children鈥檚 charter rights and the UN Convention on the rights of the child,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he fact that Horgan is using a bill meant to help the most vulnerable children in the province as political cover for why he needs to go to a self-serving election in the middle of a pandemic is appalling.鈥�
sa国际传媒 Liberal Jane Thornthwaite, MLA for North Vancouver-Seymour, said the NDP has failed to invest in meaningful treatment and recovery services.
Thornthwaite said it鈥檚 not enough to just invest in harm-reduction supports. 鈥淥verdose-prevention sites and greater distribution of naloxone kits are saving lives, but we also need immediate investment in treatment and recovery. Only when we are able to get to the root of someone鈥檚 addiction, such as mental-health issues, trauma or abuse, can we end the cycle of addiction.鈥�
鈥� Louise Dickson