Hidden drug users at risk

Jul 19, 2019 | 10:10 AM

Federal funds aimed at helping mid-sized cities fight the opioid crisis is welcome news to Vernon’s social service groups, especially if it is used to reach out to a group of hidden users.

On Wednesday, federal Health Minister Ginette PetipasTaylor announced $76.2 million would be spent on life-saving measures to underserved communities.

Annette Sharkey, executive director of Vernon’s Social Planning Council, said the new funding is recognition the addiction crisis has to be addressed.

“This is a huge crisis,” Sharkey stressed. “We’ve actually seen men’s life expectancy in B.C. go down as a result of the opioid crisis so it’s something we can’t ignore and all levels of government have to be involved.”

The federal announcement is so new, Sharkey did not know how the funds would be distributed but confirmed social service groups in Vernon would be interested in applying for some of it.

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“In Vernon, we’ve seen the death rates skyrocket, similar to other cities in the province,” she told Vernon Matters. “This is not an urban-big city issue. This is impacting all communities across B.C.”

Sharkey said B.C. was impacted more severely than the rest of the country but it remains a national issue.

A major concern for frontline workers is a failure to reach a so-called hidden population of drug users who are using in their homes, with no one to administer the antidote naloxone in the event of an overdose.

“In particular, we have a hidden population that we really haven’t been able to reach out to so maybe the funding could be used for that,” Sharkey said. “A lot of people impacted by this crisis are housed, they’re employed.

“Men in the trades, service industries, are definitely at high risk. We need to be reaching out to that population as well so, hopefully the funding can be used to address that gap.”

by Kate Bouey

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