An #opioidpoisoning and #harmreduction thread from Dr. Stan Houston:
In my job as an Infectious Disease and HIV doctor I have been involved in the development of Harm Reduction programs in Edmonton since the early 1990’s
In my job as an Infectious Disease and HIV doctor I have been involved in the development of Harm Reduction programs in Edmonton since the early 1990’s
Back in the 90s when HIV was still a pretty new problem and effective treatment was very new, the Alberta government took the enlightened decision to provide HIV treatment to all Albertans who needed it.
Our patients are hardly ever dying of HIV or hepatitis C these days. But all those advances in prevention and treatment are now being wiped out by opiate poisoning deaths.
Cut to 2021, with the shocking increase in opiate poisoning events and resulting deaths. Last year, the number of Albertans who died of opioid poisoning was almost identical to the number who died from COVID-19.
Last month, EMS in #yeg responded to over 400 calls related to opioid poisoning. So far this month it has been more than 160. When faced with another health risk threatening vulnerable Albertans, the provincial govt has taken the opposite tack.
Instead of urgently expanding proven interventions to meet the demonstrated need, or exploring new approaches to preventing opiate poisoning deaths, they have taken measures to reduce those life-saving services.
Full text found here 👇
Full text found here 👇
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
