Advocates in B.C.'s Interior call for safe consumption sites on 5th anniversary of overdose emergency

Community advocates across B.C.'s Interior are calling for supervised drug consumption sites on the fifth anniversary of the province's declaration of a public health emergency due to opioid deaths.

Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Sheila Malcolmson announced Wednesday the province will spend $45 million over the next three years to expand overdose prevention services such as supervised consumption sites, naloxone supply and integrated response teams.

The minister said the money, which is part of the 2021-2022 budget, will be spread out amongeach of the province's five health authorities.

Michelle Demoe, a homelessness prevention worker with the Ksan Society in Terrace, says thetown needs a safe consumption site in light of thedramatic increase inoverdoses inthe past five years.

"There's definitely been a shift drug usage has definitely gone up," Demoe said Wednesday to Carolina de Ryk,host of CBC's Daybreak North. "Many more people are using drugs as opposed to alcohol."

Data from the BCCoroners Serviceshow Terrace had 11 drug toxicity deaths last year, or about three per cent of Vancouver's total. But the per capita rateof overdose deaths was onlyslightly behind Vancouver's.

Demoe says the community has been increasingly supportive of theidea ofa supervised consumption site, but she's frustrated it's still in the discussion stage.

"If [a safe consumption site] was here and it was open and [people struggling with addiction issues] could walk through the doors right then and there, that would make all the difference in the world," Demoe said.

In Rossland, B.C.,former health-care worker Diana Daghofer joined other members of Moms Stop the Harm on Wednesday to place 150 shoes in front of an art gallery,commemorating those who have lost their lives to drug overdoses.

Rossland and other Kootenay municipalities recorded lower rates of drug toxicity deaths last year than many other B.C. regions, but Daghofer says people with addiction issues are still dying in the Kootenays, where not many government resources have been invested to address theissue.

"It just really upsets me because there's so much that we can do to prevent these deaths," she said Wednesday to Chris Walker, the host of CBC's Daybreak South.

Daghofer says Rossland andneighbouring Trail immediately need a supervised consumption site where people can bringtheir drugs and get them tested.

Daghofer says her group will belobbying the City of Trailfor a supervised consumption site.

"I know that the communities aren't happy with the status quo. They want to see it resolved," she said.

Tap the link below to hear Diana Daghofer's interview on Daybreak South:

Tap the link below to hear Michelle Demoe's interview on Daybreak North: