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:
- Reduce stigma
- Increase access to support programs, and health and social services
- Reduce sharing of substance use equipment
- Reduce hepatitis C and HIV
- Reduce deaths and harms from drug poisoning and substance use
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.