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Gotta love how everyone is applauding the wisdom of Dr. Bonnie Henry in her success in keeping the coronavirus under control in British Columbia and that of the

Gotta love how everyone is applauding the wisdom of Dr. Bonnie Henry in her success in keeping the coronavirus under control in British Columbia and that of the government for following all her recommendations, and yet when Dr. Henry suggests that to tackle the opioid overdose epidemic, that BC needs to decriminalize drugs and create a safe supply of drugs for the addicted, suddenly everyone stops listening to her. Drug overdose deaths in BC in May eclipsed covid 19 deaths for the entire year. You'd think people would be a bit more concerned about drug overdoses and willing to listen to the provincial health officer and follow her recommendations. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/overdose-deaths-bc-1.5607792 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/overdose-dea...

mtgp1000 6y ago
People are stuck at home now, unemployed, fearful about the present and future, and if opioids were legalized now I have no doubt that dependence and overdoses would surge. Most people fundamentally don't understand drugs or addiction. Granted I personally believe drugs should be at least decriminalized but I'm well aware that there will be a cost and people have a right to be opposed. If the last few months have taught me anything, it's that the average person really isn't capable of avoiding decisions that harm themselves and those around them with any consistency. Obviously we already have laws for murder and such but drugs also as it happens have a [lesser] external cost.
goatherders 6y ago
I live in Vancouver but am from Texas. I think the way they are dealing with the opiod issue in BC is on point and the right way to deal with the crisis.
azinman2 6y ago
It's easy to blame people for their own choice in doing drugs. Or get numb to it as isn't a new issue. But a pandemic causing an excess of deaths and huge uncertainly that could infect every person just for living a normal life is fundamentally different. My prediction is that America seems unable/unwilling to do what's required to stem covid (lack of federal leadership is just horrific here), and as such, America will chose money over lives. It always has. And at that point, sucks to be you if you got covid and die from it -- it'll just be like any other death in America.... largely ignored as a collective.

mtgp1000 6y ago

People are stuck at home now, unemployed, fearful about the present and future, and if opioids were legalized now I have no doubt that dependence and overdoses would surge. Most people fundamentally don't understand drugs or addiction. Granted I personally believe drugs should be at least decriminalized but I'm well aware that there will be a cost and people have a right to be opposed. If the last few months have taught me anything, it's that the average person really isn't capable of avoiding decisions that harm themselves and those around them with any consistency. Obviously we already have laws for murder and such but drugs also as it happens have a [lesser] external cost.

goatherders 6y ago

I live in Vancouver but am from Texas. I think the way they are dealing with the opiod issue in BC is on point and the right way to deal with the crisis.

azinman2 6y ago

It's easy to blame people for their own choice in doing drugs. Or get numb to it as isn't a new issue. But a pandemic causing an excess of deaths and huge uncertainly that could infect every person just for living a normal life is fundamentally different. My prediction is that America seems unable/unwilling to do what's required to stem covid (lack of federal leadership is just horrific here), and as such, America will chose money over lives. It always has. And at that point, sucks to be you if you got covid and die from it -- it'll just be like any other death in America.... largely ignored as a collective.