Opioid deaths in Canada during the pandemic, and what to do about it.

 Canada has a different political culture than the U.S., and attitudes towards drug abuse are one place in which that shows through clearly.

The Washington Post has the story--drug overdoses have risen during the pandemic:

Canada’s other health crisis: As overdoses surge, officials call on government to decriminalize illicit drugs

By Amanda Coletta

"a growing chorus, including top public health officials, the premier of British Columbia and the nation’s police chiefs, is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to decriminalize the possession of illicit drugs for personal use.

...

"British Columbia, the epicenter of the crisis, recorded its deadliest month in May — and then surpassed it in June. Nearly four times as many people in the province have died of a suspected overdose this year as have died of the coronavirus.

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"Border closures have disrupted drug markets, making the street supply more unpredictable and toxic. Authorities have urged people to stay at home, pushing some to use drugs alone, without anyone nearby to help when dosages go wrong. Some supervised consumption sites and treatment centers have reduced operations, cutting people off from support networks.

...

"For the pandemic, officials have marshaled extraordinary financial resources and provided daily updates. Lawmakers have stood side-by-side with public health officials, largely deferring to their advice.

"But they’ve not always backed the remedies those same officials have offered to fight overdoses.

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"“The most important thing we can do is make it okay for people to talk about their drug use and to seek assistance for it,” Henry said. “Labeling somebody a criminal is one of those major barriers that keeps people hiding and afraid and ashamed.”

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"That followed an extraordinary endorsement from the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, which said police resources would be better spent on cracking down on drug trafficking, illegal production and importation than on pursuing users.

"The chiefs said that arresting people for simple possession has been “ineffective” and that police should instead direct users to ­social services and health care, which could reduce recidivism and ancillary crimes."