First Nations women overrepresented among B.C. toxic drug deaths: doctor

Indigenouspeople, especially women, are dying fromtoxicdrugs at disproportionately high rates in British Columbia as the overdose crisis continues "unabated,'' nearly seven years after the province first declared a public health emergency, said the top doctor for the First Nations Health Authority.

Dr. Nel Wieman, the acting chief medical officer, said illicit drugs are killing First Nations people at five times the rate of B.C.'s general population.

For First Nations womenspecifically, compared with non-Indigenouswomen in the province in the first half of 2022, the rate was 8.8 times higher, she said.

She noted that number contrasts with the overall toll for the province, which shows 79 per cent of those who died fromtoxicdrugs last year were male.

Wieman's remarks came as B.C.'s chief coroner released data Tuesday showing suspecteddrugtoxicity claimed 2,272 people last year.

B.C.'s exemption to federaldruglaws also took effect Tuesday. The three-year pilot project allows adults to carry up to 2.5 grams of certain illicit substances without fear of being arrested or having their drugs confiscated by police.

The underlying reasons for the increased impact of thetoxicdrugcrisis onIndigenouspeople in B.C. are "complex and varied,'' Wieman said.

They include intergenerational trauma stemming from Canada's residential school system and the apprehension ofIndigenouschildren for placement in government care, along with a lack of access to culturally safe mental health and substance use supports, she said.

"There are also the impacts of ongoing events, including the discovery of the unmarked graves of children who attended residential schools, various climate change emergencies and the COVID-19 pandemic,'' Wieman told a news conference where the annual statistics were released.

Substance use and mental health are closely linked, she said. People use substances to change how they feel, and the health authority's response to the crisis involves helping people develop healthier coping mechanisms while expanding harm reduction and treatment options rooted inIndigenousvalues and culture.

"We recognize that seeking treatment alone, in the standard western format, may not meet the needs of all First Nations people,'' Wieman said.

"Offering treatment that's grounded in culture and ceremony addresses (that), addressing the underlying trauma will have a better longer-term outcome.''

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Dr. Paxton Bach, a co-medical director at the B.C. Centre on Substance Use, said the evolving, unpredictable drug supply is an emergency that should have warranted an "urgent response" years ago.

Chief Don Tom, vice-president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, similarly said substance use amongIndigenouspeople is often rooted in trauma from ongoing racism and centuries of colonialization.

"B.C. and Canada must act urgently to fund meaningful healing and supports, especially initiatives byIndigenouspeople forIndigenouspeople, and end discrimination in the health-care system,'' Tom said in a statement.

Wieman said many people have died while using drugs alone, in private homes, where no one was around to call for help.

"Stories have been shared with us of women who used substances privately, because of the fear they have of losing their children or personal supports.''

The illicitdrugsupply is "unpredictable and so incredibly dangerous that people risk their lives by accessing it even once,'' Wieman said.

Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said Tuesday that a range of measures are urgently needed to address the crisis,including expanded access to safe prescription alternatives,drug-checking services, overdose prevention sites and a "continuum of care'' involving treatment, recovery and medical and mental health support options.