Fraser Valley – BC recently had the “Welfare Wednesday” assistance cheques which also had the Christmas bonuses. Those on the front lines and in recovery circles were concerned about the toxic drug supply, the money in the pockets of vulnerable addicts and what the consequences may be.
Sirens through the streets of Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission et al confirmed many fears, that this would be another critical week on the streets.
Overdoes don’t happen JUST on the streets. Most happen behind doors that you would not expect. Therein lies part of the stigma against addicts.
Fraser Health is reminding people who use substances that smoking toxic substances carries the same risk of overdose as injecting them. The unpredictable nature of the highly toxic drug supply means all forms of ingesting substances come with a heightened risk of overdose.
To further spread this important message among people who use substances, Fraser Health has launched a new advertising campaign on social media and in transit locations throughout the region to raise awareness and point people to supportive resources, such as prevention, recognizing, and responding to an overdose, as well as how to access drug checking services.
Fraser Health data shows smoking was the mode of consumption for 50 per cent of the 45,968 visits to overdose prevention and consumption sites between January and September 2022 – up from 35 per cent for the same period in 2021.
The trend towards smoking rather than injecting substances is reflected in the BC Coroners Service Death Review Panel report, which shows that 44 percent of people who died of a toxic drug poisoning in B.C. in 2021 had smoked substances, compared with 36 per cent in 2017.
To support people in making informed decisions about their substance use, Fraser Health is encouraging people who use substances to get their drugs checked and not use alone. Naloxone continues to be an effective medication for reversing overdose, regardless of whether someone has used substances via inhalation/smoking, or injection route.
Three portable Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) machines are in use at supervised consumption and overdose prevention sites in the region. FTIR testing can detect the chemical makeup of many substances, including opioids, stimulants and other psychoactive drugs.
Between April and June 2022, 94 per cent of opioid samples checked in the Fraser Health region tested positive for fentanyl and 48 per cent contained benzodiazepines as well.
