Reflections from the frontline on the eighth anniversary of the toxic drug crisis
VICTORIA – In the eight years since the toxic drug crisis was declared a public health emergency in B.C. on April 14, 2016), 2,428 sons, daughters, parents, grandparents, loved ones, neighbours and friends have been lost in the Island Health region (as of January 2024).
Members of Island Health’s Harm Reduction Team, who work tirelessly to support people who use substances to achieve better health outcomes, reflect on this somber anniversary.
Beth Haywood knows of the devastating effects of the toxic drug crisis all too well: she used crack cocaine and heroin for 20 years.
“Stigma kills,” said Haywood, a peer project coordinator.
The mother of four experienced stigma when accessing health services. Her lived experience using substances in the past helps her provide compassion and empathy in her role now on the Harm Reduction Team. This also assists her in her work to help develop improved policies and services.
“We need to see people as equal and deserving of our continued love and support. The harm reduction work that we do is grounded in an equity lens, with the belief that people who use substances deserve the same care and service we give anyone with any health condition. You wouldn't turn your back on someone who had cancer, just like we don’t turn our backs on someone struggling with substance use,” Haywood said.
Tracey Thompson, a harm reduction coordinator at Island Health, has been using the principles of harm reduction to guide her work for more than 20 years.
“I’ve seen the healthcare system make great strides to expand and improve services but despite this, the wicked nature of the public health emergency causes distress, as injury and death related to unregulated substances continue to increase,” she said.
Harm reduction for substance use is an approach Island Health staff are guided by that “meets people where they’re at in the moment”. This approach accepts that people may continue to use substances while working towards goals related to improving health, reducing consumption or stopping use. Harm reduction is a critical part of the care and treatment continuum that also recognizes that recovery is a self-driven, lifelong journey. By withholding judgement and positively encouraging people with education, support, treatment and aftercare, staff help reduce the harms associated with substance use.
Research shows harm reduction services and strategies can:
Thompson’s colleague, Kayla Huggard, also a harm reduction coordinator, noted that the toxic drug crisis as a public health emergency is influenced by the social determinants of health.
“These are non-medical factors like housing, income, and social connection, she said. “Everyone deserves safe and appropriate access to healthcare.”
Island Health offers a range of safe, respectful health care services for people seeking to manage their substance use. Services offered include drug-checking and overdose prevention, prevention and early intervention, counselling, medications to treat substance use disorder, and services for detox, treatment and recovery. These programs and resources are now easier to locate through the implementation of the single toll-free Service Link phone line, 1-888-885-8824, providing information and help navigating services for substance use, harm reduction, and mental health across Island Health.
Learn more about Island Health’s Harm Reduction for Substance Use services
https://www.islandhealth.ca/our-services/mental-health-substance-use-services
Innovative liver treatment
available on Vancouver Island
An advanced therapy that targets tumors with a high dose of focused radiation while sparing surrounding healthy tissue is now available in the Island Health region, providing another potential treatment option closer to home for liver cancer patients.
The treatment, referred to as Transarterial Radioembolization, or TARE for short, uses tiny beads containing radioactive material to slow down the growth of liver tumours and help alleviate symptoms.
“This procedure is delivered to the tumor through a thin tube called a catheter placed into the hepatic artery that supplies blood to the tumor,” said Dr. Ashley Freeman, Medical Oncologist with BC Cancer - Victoria. “A radioactive agent is infused and delivers high-dose radiation inside the liver tumor while minimizing exposure to the rest of the liver. It is a targeted radiation therapy that can destroy tumor cells and slow the growth of the tumor with minimal side effects, often with a single treatment.”
Prior to Island Health offering this procedure, liver cancer patients who were ideal candidates had to travel to other parts of the province to receive treatment. Now patients are able to receive care on Vancouver Island and can go home the same day.
“This is a great example of the partnership between Island Health and BC Cancer,” said Dr. Freeman. “It is through teamwork that we are able to work together to ensure latest innovations in cancer care are available to Island Health patients.”
The team consists of members from Interventional Radiology, Transplant Surgery, Nuclear Medicine, Hepatology, Medical Physics, Radiation Safety, and Medical/Radiation/Surgical Oncology. Together, they determine the unique cancer treatment plans for each patient.
“Using TARE therapy for our liver cancer patients brings us on par with major healthcare centres across the world,” said Dr. Vamshi Kotha, a leader on the Interventional Radiology team who was responsible for introducing the procedure to Island Health. “In a large majority of patients, liver cancer is now very treatable by such minimally invasive techniques.”
Patients meeting the criteria for this procedure will be referred by their BC Cancer – Victoria oncologist to Island Health for treatment.
Island Health provides health and care services to more than 885,000 people on Vancouver Island, the islands in the Salish Sea and the Johnstone Strait, and mainland communities north of Powell River. With more than 30,000 health-care professionals, including more than 3,000 doctors, nurse practitioners, midwives and dentists that make up our Medical Staff – as well as 1,000 volunteers, and the dedicated support of 12 foundations and 19 active auxiliaries – Island Health delivers a broad range of health services, including: public health services, primary health care, home and community care, mental health and substance use services, acute care in hospitals, and much more across a huge and geographically diverse region.
BC Cancer, a program of the Provincial Health Services Authority, is committed to reducing the incidence of cancer, reducing the mortality from cancer and improving the quality of life of those living with cancer. It provides a comprehensive cancer control program for the people of British Columbia by working with community partners to deliver a range of oncology services, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, research, education, supportive care, rehabilitation and palliative care. For more information, visit www.bccancer.bc.ca or follow us on Twitter @BCCancer.
The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) provides specialized health care services and programs to communities across British Columbia, the territories of many distinct First Nations. We are grateful to all the First Nations who have cared for and nurtured this land for all time, including the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səlil̓w̓ətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations on whose unceded and ancestral territory our head office is located. We work in partnership with other B.C. health authorities and the provincial government to deliver province-wide solutions that improve the health of British Columbians. For more information, visit www.phsa.ca or follow us @PHSAofBC.
In 2021, there were 7,910 Indigenous people living in Nanaimo, making up 8.2 per cent of the population. In comparison BC’s Indigenous population represented 5.9 per cent and Canada 5.0 per cent of total population. The majority of the Indigenous population reported a single Indigenous identity, either First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit). Of the Indigenous population in Nanaimo, 54.9 per cent (or 4,345) were First Nations people, 39.4 per cent (or 3,120) were Métis, and 0.8 per cent (or 65) were Inuit. Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
In 2023, children (aged 0-14) comprised 14 per cent of Nanaimo's total population. By 2033, this segment is projected to increase by 8.1 per cent, adding 1,190 children. However, as a proportion of the total population, the children category is expected to decline by 2 per cent over the next decade. Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
Population growth rates are influenced by two primary factors: natural increase (births minus deaths) and migration. In the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) in 2022, there were 1,122 births and 2,228 deaths, resulting in a negative natural growth rate that has persisted for decades. As a result, population growth in the region has been primarily driven by migration. Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
The working-age population (aged 15-64) constituted 62 per cent (66,846) of Nanaimo's population in 2023. This segment is projected to increase by 22.5 per cent (+15,032) by 2033, to represent 63 per cent of the total population. Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
Individuals aged 65 and older represented 24 per cent of the total population in 2023 and are expected to grow by an additional 6,239 persons by 2033, reaching 23.8 per cent of the total population. Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
The largest growth over the next decade is projected in the 25-44 age category (early working years), with an increase of 9,452 persons. The second-largest growth category is the 65+ category, with an increase of 6,239 persons. Nanaimo's average and median age was younger in the 2021 Census compared to the 2016 Census, indicating a trend towards a younger population. Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
Visible minorities make up 10 per cent of Nanaimo's total population, indicating increasing diversity in the region as the overall population expands. As of 2023, Nanaimo's visible minority population is estimated at 10,675 individuals. The three largest minority groups in Nanaimo are Chinese, South Asian, and Filipino, comprising 3.1 per cent, 2.4 per cent, and 0.9 per cent of the total population, respectively. It is projected that the total visible minority population will grow by 16 per cent by 2028, with the largest increases expected from Chinese migrants (596), followed by South Asian (309) and Filipino (246). Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
In 2023, the City of Nanaimo had 6,457 licensed businesses. The largest number of business licences are held by the construction sector, followed by retail and the “professional, scientific and technical services” sector. The number of total business licences increased by 10 per cent over the last decade. Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
Home-based businesses account for 38 per cent of total business licences issued in the City of Nanaimo. 67 per cent of Nanaimo’s businesses are locally owned and operated. 3.0 per cent of Nanaimo businesses are franchise operations and 9.49 per cent are branch offices of larger companies headquartered elsewhere. Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
In 2022, the City of Nanaimo was home to 3,610 businesses with one or more employees, indicating a consistent growth trend in the overall number of businesses with employees over time. Over the past decade, the number of businesses with employees has increased by 17.4 per cent. Additionally, in the past five years, sole proprietorships have seen a notable increase of 9 per cent in Nanaimo. You can download the full State of the Economy report HERE
In 2023, Nanaimo's labour force consisted of 68,400 individuals, showing a growth rate of 3.3 per cent, surpassing the 2.2 per cent growth rate in BC and the 1.8 per cent growth rate on the Vancouver Island Coast. BC is projected to have 1,017,000 job openings between 2022 and 2032, with nearly 80 per cent of these positions requiring some level of post-secondary education or training. You can download the full State of the Economy report HERE
In 2023, Nanaimo's labour force consisted of 68,400 individuals, showing a growth rate of 3.3 per cent, surpassing the 2.2 per cent growth rate in BC and the 1.8 per cent growth rate on the Vancouver Island Coast. BC is projected to have 1,017,000 job openings between 2022 and 2032, with nearly 80 per cent of these positions requiring some level of post-secondary education or training. Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
In 2023, the occupation with the highest number of job postings was for "retail salespersons," followed by cooks and "retail and wholesale trade managers." Across sectors, the highest number of job openings in 2023 were in the Healthcare and Social Assistance sector, followed by Retail Trade and Accommodation and Food Services. You can download the full State of the Economy report HERE
In 2022, overall student enrollment at Vancouver Island University (VIU) remained largely unchanged compared to 2021. However, there were notable shifts within the student body demographics: domestic student enrollment decreased by 1.6 per cent, while international student enrollment saw a notable increase of 9.4 per cent. You can download the full State of the Economy report HERE
In 2023, the estimated median household income in the City of Nanaimo is $81,606, marking a significant 19.8 per cent increase over the past five years. By 2028, Nanaimo's median household income is projected to reach $94,387, reflecting a growth of 15.7 per cent. In comparison, BC's median household income was $93,585 in 2023 and is anticipated to grow by 15 per cent over the next five years. You can download the full State of the Economy report HERE
On average in 2023, Nanaimo households spent 8 per cent more on shelter, 4 per cent more on food, and 3 per cent more on Household Furnishings and Equipment compared to the national average. Conversely, they spent 19 per cent less on transportation costs and 18 per cent less on personal insurance payments and pension compared to the national average. You can download the full State of the Economy report HERE