VANCOUVER — A former Vancouver paramedic with decades of experience says he has watched as illicit drugs have become more toxic, requiring more effort and more overdose-reversing medication to save people's lives.
Brian Twaites' comments come on the seventh anniversary of British Columbia's declaration of the public health emergency for the overdose crisis.
Twaites worked for 36 years, mostly in the city's Downtown Eastside, and says drug users need to stop using alone and should also ensure they're not all using the same drug at the same time so someone can call for help. B.C. was the first jurisdiction in Canada to declare a public health emergency over increasing overdoses on April 14, 2016, after overdose deaths reached 474 in 2015.Premier David Eby, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whtiteside and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry say in a joint statement that they mourn with every B.C. resident who has lost a loved one, family member or friend to the crisis.
"Today, we deepen our resolve to save lives and improve lives, even as the COVID-19 pandemic's impacts have made the drug supply even more toxic for people in our province," the statement says. "Budget 2023's historic $1 billion in targeted investments will continue this work and will focus on scaling up detox, treatment and recovery services across the full spectrum of care, so people can find and stay connected to vital supports on their wellness journey."
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Former B.C. paramedic gives advice on the 7th anniversary of the overdose crisisBrian Twaites worked for 36 years, mostly in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, and says he’s seen illicit drugs become more toxic
Read more »
Former B.C. paramedic gives advice on the 7th anniversary of the overdose crisisA former Vancouver paramedic says he has watched as illicit drugs have become more toxic, requiring more effort to save people's lives.
Read more »
B.C. marks 7th anniversary of overdose emergency with grim record statisticsB.C. EHS has released grim statistics on the toxic drug crisis ahead of the seventh anniversary of the public health emergency.
Read more »
‘The perfect storm’: more poisoning calls than ever as overdose crisis turns 7 - Terrace Standard‘The perfect storm’: more poisoning calls than ever as overdose crisis turns 7
Read more »
Chinese Canadian Museum to open on the 100th anniversary of Chinese Exclusion Act - Terrace StandardLocated in Vancouver’s Chinatown, facility aims to recognize importance of Chinese-Canadians to B.C.
Read more »