Fighting Fatality: Insight into British Columbia’s Sanctioning of Overdose Prevention Sites

Abstract

Due to the alarming rate of illicit drug toxicity deaths in British Columbia, a public health emergency was declared by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Perry Kendall on 14 April 2016. In response to the unsanctioned supervised consumption sites opened by concerned community members, and following the advice of Dr. Perry Kendall, Health Minister Terry Lake enacted a Ministerial Order in December 2016 to rapidly sanction overdose prevention sites. The Ministerial Order allowed regional health authorities the opportunity to provide overdose prevention services as necessary on an emergency basis for the duration of the public health emergency. The emergency sanctioning of overdose prevention sites enabled the BC government to take swift action to address the crisis while completing the lengthy and onerous application process for more permanent supervised consumption sites. The Ministerial Order allowed overdose prevention sites to operate without a strategic plan and prior community consultation. In May 2017, Parliament adopted Bill C-37, accepting a more streamlined application process for supervised consumption sites. Overdose prevention sites are an integral part of a multi-faceted solution to the opioid crisis, however, evaluation of the cost benefits and data reflecting the impact on first responders is wanting.

Keywords

• overdose preventon sites
• supervised consumption sites
• british columbia
• overdose
• publich health emergency
• opioid crisis