Seven Long Years

Are Governments Clueless? 

Today's Learning Moment 04-14-23 – Seven Long Years -
Are Governments Clueless About Solutions for the Poisoned Drug Crisis?

Written by and for people with Lived Experience - Port Alberni Community Action Team - Families Helping Families.

Hardly! Although often, it certainly feels that way.

The lack of progress in addressing the poisoned drug crisis is so frustrating. If you’re like me, you’ve probably asked yourself why? I mean, after all, it’s been seven long years since the British Columbia Government declared the crisis a health emergency (April 14, 2016). Since then, despite the government’s best efforts, the number of deaths keep climbing (see chart below). It’s hard not to compare government action to that other health emergency – COVID. Overall, to address COVID, every level of government pulled out all the stops. Many ideas and solutions were innovative, and timely. Many were drastic. What most of us wouldn’t do is argue with the results. However, the same certainly can not be said about the poisoned drug crisis. What’s different? What should we expect? What can we do? Let’s explore these questions and search for answers.

It would not be fair to say that governments have taken no action. There have been plenty of changes over the last seven years. Sadly, just not the right action or actions that make a significant difference. Sometimes I console myself by thinking about how many more deaths would have occurred if there had been no action at all. That is not to say that I’m giving governments a free pass on their efforts. Far from it. Also, I want to be clear. Our coroner’s numbers and stats don’t lie. Everything done so far has not altered the fact that the crisis is getting worse – not better. If actions taken so far were working we’d be seeing significant declines in deaths from overdoses in our communities.

All levels of government play a part in solutions to this crisis. I’ve heard municipal and regional districts state that this is all a provincial and federal problem. Nope, that doesn’t play for me. When the BC Government declared it a health emergency, it meant that all hands on deck are required to solve this emergency. Nobody gets to point fingers somewhere else. To be fair, the Provincial Government probably owns 51% of the solutions. The Federal Government is a significant portion of the rest; however, Regional Districts, Towns, Cities, and First Nation Governments play substantial roles too. At the very least, they can act as advocates for change at the provincial and federal levels.

I get that the poisoned drug crisis is an incredibly complex challenge that involves many factors, including substance disorders, mental health, and a huge number of social factors, like poverty and homelessness. Also the quality and safety of drugs that are currently classified as illegal. Last but certainly not least is how we deal with drug trafficking. These are just a few of the challenges that need solutions.

On top of these issues are decades of misinformation which has formed public bias and opinions that are not driven by evidence-based science or clinical experience. The poisoned drug crisis is largely the result of failed drug policies of the twentieth century that prioritize punishment over public health. We have a long uphill road to walk before we change the mindset resulting from the War on Drugs policies.

However, when there is a common threat that all of us address together, nothing can stop us from finding solutions. So first of all we need to significantly escalate the response to the poisoned drug crisis. You’d think that declaring a public health emergency would have done that. Yet, declaring something and doing something about it are entirely two different experiences. To cause exponential change, every level and department of government and health authorities has to walk the talk. 

Provincially there is no lack of recommendations from the province's own departments. The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions has its Pathway to Hope Report. In March 2022, the BC Coroner released its Death Review Panel Report on the Poisoned Drug Crisis. Then in Nov 2022, the Bipartisan Standing Committee on Health released its report. All these reports include extensive recommendations that would significantly make a difference. However, few of the important recommendations likely to change things in a big way have received traction. That begs the question, why?

Understanding Government Inaction:

Here are some thoughts on why government effective action isn’t happening related to the poisoned drug crisis.

The very first reason for government inaction is the lack of political will. Addressing this crisis requires significant resources (money) and a sustained effort over time, which some governments are unwilling or unable to commit to. Along with resources and long-term commitment is how the government views the crisis in terms of support or in other words - votes from the public. Every government's first priority is usually survival at the polls.

The poisoned drug crisis is not trendy, cool, or fashionable. Point of fact, every single person seems to have an opinion on the poisoned drug crisis. It’s incredibly difficult to find someone sitting on the fence. You’re either for progressive substance policies or still mired in thinking people can just stop. No matter what governments chose, they’re likely to alienate a good portion of voters. Sometimes doing nothing seems like the best choice. No government gets points for being a leader in solving the crisis. Not unless they enjoy huge success from their actions, which is unlikely in any government’s four-year mandate.

This leads to the second reason for government inaction which is the stigma around people who use drugs. Even within government and health authorities, many still view people who use drugs as criminals or as having a moral failing, rather than as a health crisis of people who need help and support. This stigma can make it difficult for governments to get their staff on board with new policies and ideas to address the poisoned drug crisis.

I haven’t forgotten that addressing the poisoned drug crisis requires navigating complex legal and policy issues, such as drug scheduling, prescription regulations, overall health policies, professional colleges, like the Physicians & Surgeons College of BC, and of course, criminal justice policies. Governments are hesitant to take action because of the potential political or legal repercussions of their decisions.

In some circles, there is still a belief that we have a lack of data and evidence. Even though over the last few decades, there has been a huge upswing in evidence/science-based research in every aspect of substance disorders. Many people question the effectiveness of different approaches to addressing the poisoned drug crisis. Resistance to change is a huge factor in preventing progress. Many still prefer the old methods even though everyone clearly can see they are not working. This makes it difficult for governments to champion new directions across all the agencies that need to implement new policies and programs.

These days, everyone has their hands out asking governments for more funds. No government has a bottomless bucket of money. Governments have limited resources to allocate to the poisoned drug crisis, which leads to inadequate funding, inaction, or a focus on short-term solutions rather than long-term strategies.

Frankly, I don’t envy governments. They’re basically in a no-win, between a rock and a hard place when it comes to addressing the poisoned drug crisis. The problems to solve are huge and require a multi-faceted approach that involves addressing the underlying social, economic, and health-related factors that contribute to substance disorders and drug-related harm. It also requires political will, evidence-based policies, and sustained investment in prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and enforcement efforts.

Our Part:

All of us play a part in making change happen. Considering the above reasons for government inaction, here are some strategies we can all use to encourage government action on the poisoned drug crisis.

Increasing public awareness about the scope and severity of the poisoned drug crisis can help build momentum for government action. This can involve public education campaigns, media coverage, and advocacy efforts to engage policymakers and the public.

Mobilizing grassroots efforts, such as community organizing, advocacy groups, and support groups, can help build a groundswell of public support for government action. These efforts can also put pressure on policymakers to take action.

Building broad-based coalitions that include diverse stakeholders, such as law enforcement, public health officials, healthcare providers, and community organizations, can help build consensus around policy solutions and increase the chances of government action.

Using data and evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of different policy approaches can help build a strong case for government action. This can involve research studies, program evaluations, and data analysis to identify effective strategies for prevention, treatment, and harm reduction.

Engaging with policymakers directly through meetings, letters, and other forms of communication can help raise awareness about the poisoned drug crisis and advocate for specific policy solutions. This can involve working with elected officials, government agencies, and other decision-makers at the local, provincial, and national levels.

Prioritizing funding for prevention, treatment, and harm reduction efforts can signal government commitment to addressing the poisoned drug crisis. This can involve advocating for increased funding, reallocating existing resources, and working with public and private funders to support evidence-based solutions.

Overall, a comprehensive strategy that combines public awareness, grassroots mobilization, stakeholder engagement, data and evidence, and prioritized funding will encourage government action on the poisoned drug crisis.

Remember, that various levels of government are us. What government does is a direct reflection of society as a whole. If we’re going to address the poisoned drug crisis, we have to get all our families, friends, and neighbours on board with supporting new, innovative, and evidence-based policies as soon as possible.

My final thought in closing is wondering if I’ll be writing about the lack of progress seven years from now. THAT is unthinkable!

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Author: Ron Merk  – Ron is a person with lived experience and advocates for people and families with concurrent disorders. (This article was written with the help of AI -accessing the combined knowledge of humanity)

Note: We may use words or phrases in our articles that are not first person, or the latest best-in-practice language. Sometimes we will use older, non-informed jargon. to clarify and inform people who are learning the new non-stigmatizing language. (linking old language usage to new terms) You can tell when you run into these old or non-inclusive words or phrases. They will be in quotation marks - eg old word “addiction” – When we introduce new inclusive language, words or phrases, they will be in Parenthesis - eg (people with substance disorders).

Families Helping Families is an initiative of the Port Alberni Community Action Team. We regularly send out "Learning Moment" articles to help folks understand substance disorders or concurrent disorders. Knowledge is vital in understanding these disorders of our family members. You may copy, distribute or share our articles as long as you retain the attribution. Add yourself to our distribution list by dropping us a note at - albernihelp@gmail.com