BC, Canada overdose deaths increased by 74% in 2020

[Joey]

2020 Was the Worst Year Ever for Overdose Deaths in B.C.

Drug overdose deaths far outpaced deaths from COVID-19 in the province, which is pursuing decriminalization.

www.vice.com

More than 1,700 people died of illicit drug toxicity deaths in British Columbia during 2020, a 74 percent increase from 2019, making it the worst year on record for the province that has been the epicentre of the overdose crisis in Canada.

 

[Bella Figura]

When I visited Vancouver/East Hastings, I'd never seen anything like it before, if that was happening in the UK so out in the open the police would probably arrest everyone..

 

[electronDegenerate]

I got lost wondering around in the city, moving east from Hastings. At that point in my life I had never seen anyone shooting up before.
But I saw groups of people shooting up right on the street there. It was pretty shocking at the time. That was back in 2008 or 09. Can't imagine it being that much worse now.
But it also blew my mind that the guy behind the counter at the BCMP bookstore smoked me out....

 

[Joey]

When I visited Vancouver/East Hastings, I'd never seen anything like it before, if that was happening in the UK so out in the open the police would probably arrest everyone..

Police do have a big presence there but theyre mostly there checking up on people, responding to overdoses, transporting people to services and help, etc.

 

[RedRum OG]

If its anything like the USA, that's probably mostly due to "fent-dope"

Bring back real heroin

 

[Bella Figura]

As open as the drug use was, my inner fiend didn't bother asking around for H seeing as Kratom is also legal there.

Kratom and weed, it was a glorious visit.

 

[queenscarlet88]

Most likely attributable to lockdown-induced deaths of despair. Expect to see the same trend worldwide.

 

[SunriseChampion]

When I visited Vancouver/East Hastings, I'd never seen anything like it before, if that was happening in the UK so out in the open the police would probably arrest everyone..

When I visited Frankfurt (I know that's not where you're from), I was surprised to see the local police also ignore open drug use in the street. I thought it was a Canadian thing.

 

[SunriseChampion]

Most likely attributable to lockdown-induced deaths of despair. Expect to see the same trend worldwide.

The lockdown in British Columbia was never anything worth the name. In fact, if I remember correctly, they didn't have anything near a "lock down". The increase in drug overdoses here in Ontario may be attributable to lock downs and all that, but out west, I doubt it.

 

[Joey]

The lockdown in British Columbia was never anything worth the name. In fact, if I remember correctly, they didn't have anything near a "lock down". The increase in drug overdoses here in Ontario may be attributable to lock downs and all that, but out west, I doubt it.

I don't know, I wasn't there. and didn't read into their specifics in lockdown.. but the implicarion is the covid response has a lot to do with it. It's all craziness now. There's going to be a third wave in Ontario for sure now seeing reopening is now deemed okay around the 1000 per day mark. First wave, numbers were below 100 per day after everything and look what happened. It's okay though, I believe in stimulating that almighty dollar for a month or two until a viral wave explodes for the 14th time, effectively destroying that dollar by perpetuating the problems, and learning nothing too, because that;'s hilarious.

 

[SunriseChampion]

The lock down has done a lot more damage to people than the virus could ever hope to. Being the premature cause of death of old people who are at the end of their days is nothing compared to what we've done to people who are still capable of contribution to society, never mind the ones yet to contribute (the youth).
It has nothing to do with economic considerations either, necessarily.

 

[Viraldrome]

I wonder how many people OD the day CERB cheques come out? Is it the same day for everyone? I kept on working all thru it but I do live In junkytown in Calgary. I noticed a lot of them got quite desperate here because they would get their money from asking people for change but the lockdown made downtown into a ghost town. And to be quite honest those folks who steal are finding they are the only people on the street at night and cops have nothing to do with the bars closed. And the best places to shoplift were closed. Life got harder all around for them, shelters are full of coughers so tent encampments are growing.
I don't know if i agree with the assertation that the border is closed so the drug supply is bad because of that, trucks never stopped, mail never stopped. Lots of people dying but "toxic drug supply" may not be the reason for that.

 

[Sky God]

I was in Vancouver on Hastings and saw one guy shoot up pass out with needle still in arm, his friend took the needle out of his arm and shot himself. I was 20 and drug naive and swore i would never touch heroin, 20 years later things change. But i would never take someone else's needle from their arm

 

[Foreigner]

I wonder which months the worst of those stats were from. When covid first hit, the city locked down hard, even the needle exchange and supervised injection sites closes. A lot of dealers went missing too, and with the border closures there was no cross-border supply from the U.S. Prices skyrocketed on limited supply. People had hardcore WD symptoms, all my outreach worker friends were talking about what a shit show it was.

Then the lockdowns ended and people binged as soon as stuff became available again. Add to that, the loneliness and isolation of the lockdowns. A lot of outreach workers were no longer able to visit community dwellings because of covid. The community programming all halted for a good 5-6 months.

As usual the poorest and more disenfranchised people were hit hardest. The city I've been hiding out in since last year has it worse. Very few social services. The OD rate has skyrocketed as addicts are barred up in their homes in the middle of winter alone, with no public venues to hang out at.

I'm so sick of how the government has handled this covid shit. If you're under 50, you have a 99.8% chance of surviving infection. They shouldn't be shutting down all of society, it's just creating more ills.