From August 2017 to July 2021, over 6,000 people died from our toxic illicit drug market.

6,000 British Columbians who could still be here today if the political will to save them existed.

Why has the @jjhorgan’s gov’t not introduced non-medicalized #safesupply? 1/ #bcpoli
For the past 6 years, our province has been in a public health emergency in which the toxic illicit drug supply has taken more lives than homicide, suicide, and car crashes combined.

These deaths are preventable. The policy tools are there but we haven't used them. 2/ #bcpoli
Current drug policy frameworks are rooted in prohibition, criminalization, and marginalization, and they are simply not working.

These archaic policies worsen the stigma that this gov’t has said it wants to reduce. 3/ #bcpoli #safesupply #EndtheStigma
We can freely purchase alcohol, cannabis, and over-the-counter medication in this province. Reducing stigma starts with making the supply accessible, predictable, and safe. 4/ #bcpoli #safesupply
People who use drugs – whether occasionally or regularly – deserve access to a drug supply that they can rely on, that is safe, and that won’t send them to the morgue.

@jjhorgan did not answer my question - and @s_malcolmson used the same tired old talking points. 5/ #bcpoli
Focusing only on treatment is flawed. The @bcndp's solution is to “get clean”, “get treated”, and “get fixed.”

Recovery is important for those who have substance use disorder, but it is impossible to get better if you’re dead.

This is why we need #safesupply. 6/6 #bcpoli

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More from @SoniaFurstenau

Mar 10
It has been a long 2 years for British Columbians. Many people are eager for the pandemic to be over, and others are still anxious about opening up. 1/ #bcpoli #COVID19BC
I am deeply concerned that without a plan for the future and clear information on why we’re making decisions, removing these measures will create more confusion, allow for greater transmission of COVID, and risk distrust in government. 2/ #bcpoli #COVID19BC
Learning to live with this virus should not mean pretending it is over; it should mean that we keep simple, universal basic protections in places where they keep us safe and provide a predictable plan that we can work towards and anticipate. 3/ #bcpoli #COVID19BC
Read 9 tweets
Mar 10
Today I asked @adriandix whether he thinks that having a for-profit corporation that delivers profits to shareholders also delivering healthcare in BC is aligned with the principles of equitable, universal, public health care. 1/ #bcpoli #HealthCare #Health #HealthEquity
In BC, access to virtual health care, covered by MSP, is happening through Telus. But at the same time, @TELUSHealth is charging $1000 for annual screenings. But that is not all. 2/ #bcpoli #HealthCare #health
There is also LifePlus, offering the care we expect from a family clinic. The annual cost of enrolment in LifePlus is $4000 for the first year, and $3000 every year after. 3/ #bcpoli #HealthCare #health
Read 5 tweets
Mar 9
The Coroner’s Death Review Panel announced that from August of 2017 to July of 2021, over 6,000 people died from our toxic illicit drug market.

They've declared #safesupply as the first priority for people who use drugs, calling on the @bcndp to implement by May 9th. 1/ #bcpoli
These were preventable deaths if we had the right policy tools in place like #safesupply. This crisis intersects with our mental health crisis, our housing crisis, and our affordability crisis. 2/ #bcpoli
The supply of street drugs is getting deadlier, it is killing younger people, and it’s hitting everyone - those with substance use disorder, and those who use drugs recreationally. 3/ #bcpoli #safesupply
Read 6 tweets
Mar 9
On #IWD, how do we value health for all? I'd argue that how we measure our economy & its progress indicators are crucial in achieving this.

Based on 3 guiding principles:
Value planetary health ✅
Value social foundations & equity ✅
Take human health seriously ✅
1/ #bcpoli
As proposed by the @WHO Council on the Economics of Health for all policy brief, valuing Health for All means rethinking and building a whole-of-society approach. 2/ #bcpoli #BCEconomy #GPI
who.int/publications/m…
We value planetary health, by protecting the integrity of essential common goods such as water and air, and by respecting the ecological boundaries upon which human health and well-being ultimately depend. 3/ #bcpoli #BCEconomy #GPI
Read 6 tweets
Mar 8
The @bcndp campaigned on #FreeContraception as part of their 2020 election platform.

2 years later & the promise remains unfulfilled. Meanwhile women, trans-men, & gender-diverse people must shell out hundreds of dollars a year for this basic care. 1/ #bcpoli #IWD2022 @AccessBC
This gov't has shown its willingness to use its power in extraordinary ways, such as rebuilding the Coquihalla in record time, or pushing through problematic FOI legislation. There is no excuse for prescription contraception to remain behind a paywall. 2/ #bcpoli @AccessBC
With the rising costs of living, providing free contraception is a concrete measure that the @bcndp can put in place that will provide immediate and ongoing financial relief for people. 3/ #bcpoli #IWD2022
Read 4 tweets
Mar 3
If 1 in 10 bottles of wine killed people we wouldn't be “building a system of care” we'd move immediately to ensure that a #safesupply existed.

The @bcndp fundamentally misunderstands the toxic drug crisis. It isn't an addictions crisis but rather a health crisis. 1/ #bcpoli
How does the @bcndp plan to separate those who use drugs from the toxic supply with no additional funding for #safesupply in #BCBudget2022? Why do they lack the political will to implement the solution that saves lives? I asked @AdrianDix & @jjhorgan this today. 2/ #bcpoli
The @bcndp made no mention of #safesupply in their 2022 budget, instead a fixation on treating addiction. If every person with substance use disorder was to recover in BC, our toxic drug market would still kill people. Because not all people who use drugs are addicted. 3/ #bcpoli
Read 6 tweets

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