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QATHET'S WISDOM ON THE OPIOID CRISIS

BY KATE HODGSON | COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES MANAGER FOR LIFT, ACTING COORDINATOR FOR QATHET COMMUNITY ACTION TEAM, IN CONSULTATION WITH QCAT PARTNERS.

What do you think of the recommendations in the “Closing Gaps, Reducing Barriers” report that just came out?

Kate and the qCAT • This is an important report that was developed to inform provincial and municipal governments, among other stakeholders, in how to best support people with substance use disorders. The recommendations provided in the report are reflective of the best evidence that we have currently to address substance use that causes harm.

The report was developed with key values based on the human rights of people who use drugs; these include urgency, equity, comprehensiveness, connection, coordination, standardization, accountability and the inclusion of people who use drugs (PWUD).

The qathet Community Action Team (qCAT) upholds the report and is willing to act as a facilitator of all community stakeholders, including local government, health authorities and professional associations to develop a revised plan based on the recommendations in this report, with a particular focus on harm reduction, safe supply, treatment and recovery, the specific needs of Indigenous people and youth, and decriminalization.

It seems like we’ve had reports and recommendations coming out for at least five years, all recommending the same steps. How confident are you that this government will take action that will significantly impact the lives of people who live with addictions to opioids?

Kate and the qCAT • Government plays a critical role in policy development and some legislative changes that promote access to services for people who use drugs.

To date, the province has played an active role in supporting policy e.g., pharmaceutical alternatives policy for prescribing safe supply and making the necessary legislative changes needed to expand the prescribing workforce e.g., Order of the

Provincial Health Officer for Registered Nurse / Registered Psychiatric Nurse prescribing. The province has also taken an active role in policy development related to decriminalization.

Barriers for individuals with opioid use disorder or chronic pain are increased due to inaccessibility of services. Barriers to life-saving medications or safe supply continue to be an issue across BC, particularly in rural regions. In addition, the bottle neck of applications to treatment centres creates lengthy wait times. Having no safe housing for people to live in while awaiting treatment places people at risk of dire social and medical consequences.

Stigma among healthcare providers and within other social institutions continues to prevent people from accessing harm reduction services and substance use treatment.

A multi-level approach is required to improve mortality outcomes for people with substance use disorder, which includes provincial and municipal-level governments, health-systems and local frontline healthcare and service providers.

What do you wish more people understood about the crime / addiction / poverty / housing reality in qathet?

Kate and the qCAT • Crime and substance use are not interconnected. Research shows that it is social and economic marginalization that perpetuates crime, not substance use. (See the next page for a full explanation on this.)

Community-wide stigma prevents people from seeking support and recovery resources, and the language people use to refer to PWUD matters.

Healing from substance use is based on relationships and connection to community, healing relies on all community members to support PWUD through challenging life events. In particular, healthcare providers need to approach PWUD or appear to use drugs with a stigma-free, trauma-informed and non-judgmental attitude. All interactions between PWUD and healthcare providers are opportunities for change, and the concerns of PWUD often do not present as issues directly and clearly related to the effects of substance use.