Northern Health is continuing to look at ways to reduce the number of unregulated drug deaths in the health authority.
According to the BC Coroners Service, 47 people have lost their lives so far this year in Northern Health to unregulated drugs as of the end of April.
The region also has the highest death rate per 100,000 people at 46.8.
“There is no one way to address this very complex issue,” said Dr. Diana Bark, Medical Health Officer.
“It takes a multi-pronged approach and activating the whole health system to address the issue.”
During a meeting in Valemount on June 17, an adulterant called Medetomidine was discussed as an emerging issue.
“This is a veterinary sedative. It is not an opioid but it will create very complex overdoses with deep sedation,” said Bark.
She added Northern Health has been working share resources on how to recognize an overdose and address its health effects.
Some of the programs already in place to help lower the number of unregulated drug deaths include harm reduction, treatment, and creating supportive environments.
A main harm reduction programs currently running is the take-home naloxone program, which helps reverse overdose effects.
Another part of the program is its overdose prevention services.
“Having spaces where people can go to consume substances where there will be a trained person on-site to recognize if there are symptoms of overdose and make sure that person gets the care they need,” said Bark.
Drug checking services are also offered by Northern Health under its harm reduction programs.
Bark said Northern Health has also been working to improve access to opioid-agonist therapy.
The combination of services has helped lower the number of unregulated drug deaths in the health area which would have otherwise occurred.
“We have mathematical modeling data from the BC Centre for Disease Control that show us how many more deaths we would have had if we didn’t have these services,” said Bark.
She also recognized the number of deaths in the region continue to be high, signaling improvement to existing services and addressing ongoing challenges is still needed.
“It cannot be understated just how significantly toxic the drug supply is out there and that continues to shape what we’re seeing in terms of the health impact,” Bark said.
While Northern Health is continuously looking at how to improve services, she said residents can also help by taking naloxone training and learning about the SAVE ME steps.
