It’s Time to End the Overdose Crisis

By Scott Courtice, Executive Director, London InterCommunity Health Centre

Confronting the global pandemic of COVID-19 has been a challenge for us all, and the rapid development of vaccines is an incredible human achievement. It demonstrates that governments, civil society and the private sector have the ability to inspire collective commitment to solving wicked problems.

That same energy and collective commitment must be used to end another devastating public health crisis – the opioid overdose epidemic. The crisis has been rampant since 2016, and has been exacerbated during COVID-19; Ontario’s chief coroner estimates that deaths due to overdose have increased by 40% in our province during the pandemic, which is a shocking outcome given that pre-pandemic deaths were already devastatingly high.

Many innovative and life-saving harm reduction interventions have been pursued over the past five years in Ontario to address the crisis. This has included widespread distribution of Naloxone, a drug that reverses the effects of opioid overdose; implementation of Overdose Prevention and Consumption Treatment sites; and, Safer Supply programs, which prescribe pharmaceutical grade substances such as opioids and stimulants to those at highest risk of overdose. London has been a national leader in championing these programs and many communities have looked to us as we have battled our own opioid crisis that affects so many of our friends, neighbours and family members.

Innovations to date have saved countless lives, yet we continue to experience a staggering number of deaths. What else must we do to affect a solution to this crisis?

This is a complex issue that requires the use of many strategies, but I’d like to suggest two priorities that can be championed at the local level, with assistance from our provincial and federal governments:

We need to end the criminalization of people who use drugs. In the words of Dr. Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, “You cannot arrest your way out of an opioid crisis.” Law enforcement approaches are costly, and have not been effective at reducing drug use. They have increased harm and risk for people who use drugs, and have disproportionately impacted Black, Indigenous and People of Colour communities. A just, humane and effective approach would be to address the overdose crisis as a public health issue, not as a criminal justice matter.

In order to treat this crisis with the urgency it deserves, municipalities should be empowered to test approaches to end the criminalization of people who use drugs, starting with communities that are particularly hard hit by the opioid crisis. Vancouver’s City Council recently voted unanimously to seek a Federal exemption to decriminalize simple possession of street drugs within the city, and other Canadian communities should follow their lead. The results of these tests, combined with experiences of other countries that have already ended the criminalization of drugs, can help set a pan-Canadian approach that is effective and evidence-based.

We need to address the social determinants of health, with a priority given to housing. Housing, combined with medical and social supports, increases stability and creates more opportunities for people to focus on their health and wellbeing. It is energizing to see a commitment from our Mayor to end chronic homelessness, and to see leadership from the London Community Foundation and others to develop the old South Street hospital lands with affordable, supportive housing in mind. Let’s build on this leadership, and develop a strategy that provides a continuum of housing that meets the needs of all people, including those who face the most significant barriers.

If there’s a silver lining from the pandemic, I hope it is an inspiration that society can achieve big, audacious goals. Ending the overdose crisis should be one of those goals, so let’s get to it.