Jane Philpott: If you don’t already know someone who has lost a loved one because of an accidental opioid overdose, it’s only a matter of time until you will
In 2019, about 12 people die every day from an opioid-related overdose. It’s Canada’s most significant public health threat since 1919, when 55,000 people died from the Spanish flu. Not only are opioid-related deaths among the top 10 causes of mortality in our country, but the number grows each year.
The topic must not be dismissed as one affecting only marginalized people. It’s estimated that a million Canadians are at risk of exposure to toxic opioid products. They are our relatives and neighbours: people use drugs in city centres but also in suburbs, small towns and remote regions; they use drugs in urban areas, but also alone at home or in the washroom cubicles of your neighbourhood fast food restaurant.
Canada can do more by implementing international best practices. Two changes can be adapted from drug policies in Europe. Following Portugal’s lead, we should decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs—a 10-day personal supply. Following Switzerland’s lead, we should expand access to safe supply.
Portugal’s approach reminds me of how First Nations writer and residential school survivor Edmund Metatawabin had described the word “justice” in his book Up Ghost River. While there is no Cree word for justice, he says that “the nearest word is ‘kintohpatatin,’ which loosely translates to ‘you’ve been listened to’ . . . Kintohpatatin is richer than justice—really it means you’ve been listened to by someone compassionate and fair, and your needs will be taken seriously.
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