3845 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

 

In June 2020, there were 175 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths. This represent a 130%

increase over the number of deaths seen in June 2019 (76) and a 2% increase over the

number of deaths in May 2020 (171).

 

 

 

so that's just to prepare you for the july numbers coming out this week.

 

june 2019:   76 deaths

may 2020:  171 deaths

june 2020:  175 deaths

july 2020:  ?  (numbers expected this week)

 

now we are told repeatedly that deaths are occurring in private homes.  and that might be true of numbers overall.  but it's NOT for Vancouver.

 

2017-2020 vancouver:

 

private residence:  504

other residence:  665 

outside:  170

other inside:  37

 

back to the monthlies -

 

july 2019:  74

august 2019:  85

september 2019:  59

october 2019:  74

november 2019:  78

december 2019:  68

january 2020:  78

february 2020:  73

march 2020:  113

april 2020:  118

may 2020:  171

june 2020:  175

july 2020:  ?  (figures expected this week)

 

 

https://www2.gov.bc....llicit-drug.pdf

 

i'm pretty sure you can probably figure from the above it's related to CERB and the extra $300/mo. on welfare cheques.

 

the fist $300 bonus benefit came on april 22:

 

Minister Shane Simpson said the benefit will come with the next round of cheques on April 22, with no application required.

 

 

https://www.cbc.ca/n...tance-1.5519061

 

CERB benefits also began in april.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 19 August 2020 - 04:43 AM.

[Jacques Cadé]

I don't think you can set your calendar by those illicit drug-death reports. BC Coroners compiles monthly stats, but they don't release them monthly. So far this year, they've been released on Feb 24, May 7, May 27, and July 16: https://www2.gov.bc....ews-and-updates. But https://www2.gov.bc....istical-reports says the numbers are "updated monthly," so we shall see.

[Victoria Watcher]

Bccdc has monthly updates. No?

http://www.bccdc.ca/...esponse-reports

[A Girl is No one]

WoW the BC CDC weekly graph leaves nothing to the imagination about the impact of cheque day on overdose counts.

Edited by A Girl is No one, 19 August 2020 - 06:46 AM.

[A Girl is No one]

so that's just to prepare you for the july numbers coming out this week.

june 2019: 76 deaths
may 2020: 171 deaths
june 2020: 175 deaths
july 2020: ? (numbers expected this week)

now we are told repeatedly that deaths are occurring in private homes. and that might be true of numbers overall. but it's NOT for Vancouver.

2017-2020 vancouver:

private residence: 504
other residence: 665
outside: 170
other inside: 37

back to the monthlies -

july 2019: 74
august 2019: 85
september 2019: 59
october 2019: 74
november 2019: 78
december 2019: 68
january 2020: 78
february 2020: 73
march 2020: 113
april 2020: 118
may 2020: 171
june 2020: 175
july 2020: ? (figures expected this week)


https://www2.gov.bc....llicit-drug.pdf

i'm pretty sure you can probably figure from the above it's related to CERB and the extra $300/mo. on welfare cheques.

the fist $300 bonus benefit came on april 22:


https://www.cbc.ca/n...tance-1.5519061

CERB benefits also began in april.

Hmmm what triggered the initial jump in March then? Paycheque advances?

[Victoria Watcher]

Suggestions like a major expansion of safe supply programs to replace the increasingly poisoned and unpredictable illicit supplies were ignored, McBain said, even as overdose fatalities rose to their highest historical levels in May and then again in June. Numbers for July are expected next week, and advocates are bracing for another brutal monthly toll.

 

https://www.princege...ions-1.24189398

[Nparker]

...Numbers for July are expected next week, and advocates are bracing for another brutal monthly toll...

And the toll will stay brutal for as long as an additional $300 is being added to monthly income and disability assistance payments.

If you are not receiving federal Employment Insurance (EI) or the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and are on:

• Income Assistance
• Disability Assistance
• Comforts Allowance
• BC Senior's Supplement

You'll automatically receive a $300 supplement on your cheques issued in April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. No action is required on your part.

 

[Victoria Watcher]

Karen Ward, 46, has lived in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside for 12 years. She began using cocaine about three years before that, and continues to smoke "rock."

Ward doesn't get welfare, but she is on disability assistance while working part-time for the City of Vancouver.



https://www.cbc.ca/n...-harm-1.5158656


she smokes crack and works for the City. nice.

[Victoria Watcher]

a lot of that article talks about drug debts. and a suggestion is that increasing welfare rates would solve some of the issues.

how about instead we try to work with people to eliminate their drug debts? by reducing their consumption or overconsumption of drugs?

what if we got people away voluntarily from drugs for two weeks at a time to show them what a drug free life might feel like, I think it’s worth a trial.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 23 August 2020 - 04:45 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Window on recovery: People seeking addictions help face 'tons of barriers'


https://www.timescol...iers-1.24190948

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 23 August 2020 - 05:03 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

I don’t see a lot of barriers there. a 2 week wait for someone that’s been on drugs for a decade seems speedy.

[Victoria Watcher]

[faccrd s waaent='Open Sans']Suggestions like a major expansion of safe supply programs to replace the increasingly poisoned and unpredictable illicit supplies were ignored, McBain said, even as overdose fatalities rose to their highest historical levels in May and then again in June. Numbers for July are expected next week, and advocates are bracing for another brutal monthly toll.[/font]

https://www.princege...ions-1.24189398

[North Shore]

I don’t see a lot of barriers there. a 2 week wait for someone that’s been on drugs for a decade seems speedy.

 

Dude! HAve a little thought about this....after something has been someone's main crutch for a decade, you're now expecting them to hold fast by themselves for two weeks?  From my (albeit limited) interactions with addicts, you might get two hours or days before the monkey starts tapping on their shoulders again...

[Freedom57]

what if we got people away voluntarily from drugs for two weeks at a time to show them what a drug free life might feel like, I think it’s worth a trial.

You'd need to have them drug free for longer than a year to even have a hope.  A drug free life isn't very appealing/interesting/fulfilling to the addicted.....

[A Girl is No one]

You'd need to have them drug free for longer than a year to even have a hope. A drug free life isn't very appealing/interesting/fulfilling to the addicted.....

Particularly when the addicted life comes with so many perks as it does today.

[Greg]

I don’t see a lot of barriers there. a 2 week wait for someone that’s been on drugs for a decade seems speedy.

 

Being able to provide timely help during what might be a fleeting moment of clarity seems like a better plan. 

[Victoria Watcher]

Being able to provide timely help during what might be a fleeting moment of clarity seems like a better plan. 

 

during the moment of clarity, they should say "i'll be sober for 2 weeks then have help".

 

ffs we are already bending over backwards to help.  we can't tend to everyone 24/7.

[On the Level]

I am wondering.......why does Island Health not take responsibility for the injuries they incur in their free needle program?  Are some citizens more important than others in harm reduction?

[Spy Black]

Like free needle programs everywhere, the distribution of needles isn't seen as a contribution to the act of injecting drugs, it's seen as an act of preventing disease from using dirty needles ... thus removing the "free needle provider" from any blowback from the fact that they are enabling (to a degree) a junkie.

 

It's based on the premise that the typical junkie couldn't care less, and will pick up a used needle off the street and use it to inject drugs ... thus almost guaranteeing additional illness, and thus additional strain on the system.

 

As to the veracity of junkies picking up used needles, I've seen it dozens of times with my own eyes ... so despite my general position that we shouldn't be doing anything to enable drug addicts, I get the free needle thing, and grudgingly support that it's not Island Healths problem that junkies use their needles and sometimes overdose or die while doing so ... the alternative is (for example) all these tent cities crawling with hepatitis (or worse), and generally spreading it (or whatever) all over town.

[Mike K.]

I was not aware that there are needles which self retract after use. I’m sure they’re costlier, but why aren’t we using those? Clearly our community has an issue with improperly discarded needles in public places.

Do diabetics still have to pay for their own needles as was the case for as long as I can remember?