Certain opioids and some other substances are part of BC’s Safe Supply Program. In July 2021, the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, Ministry of Health, and Office of the Provincial Health Officer released Access to Prescribed Safer Supply in British Columbia: Policy Direction, which enables individuals to access a range of medications through prescription to reduce the risk of drug toxicity death due to accessing the illicit drug supply. The first phase of implementation of this policy allows for the prescribing of certain opioids through regional health authority-run programs and federally funded programs (e.g., SAFER).
BC Centre on Substance Abuse says Prescribed pharmaceutical alternatives is not intended for treatment of substance use disorders but is primarily a harm reduction approach as one strategy for reducing the risks of illicit drug toxicity events and deaths.
Dr Henry has now come out with another report titled ALTERNATIVES TO UNREGULATED DRUGS: ANOTHER STEP IN SAVING LIVES. It advocates expanding this Safe Supply program “beyond the health care system.”
The report offers the logic that when these drugs like fentanyl are illegally manufactured, they are adulterated. “When illegally manufactured and distributed, opioids and stimulants such as fentanyl-like drugs, heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine are mixed with other adulterants such as benzodiazepines and cutting agents such as talc to produce individual doses of drugs that are sold in the unregulated market,” says the report. “The composition, contents, and potency of these unregulated drugs are unpredictable, and inherently distinct from pharmaceutical grade opioid and stimulant products that are quality-controlled and manufactured in strictly regulated environments.
She says barriers need to be addressed to continue to scale-up and increase the accessibility of prescription-based programs. “However, experience so far shows that providing access only through the health-care system makes it unlikely that this intervention will reach a large enough proportion of the population at risk to reduce rates of poisonings and deaths. Therefore, it is imperative to explore opportunities for providing access to alternatives beyond the health-care system.”
The B.C. NDP government has swiftly rejected this recommendation. Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, in a statement said, “Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is an important independent voice on public-health issues in this province, and we respect her advice. However, this is a topic we do not agree on. The Province will not go in the direction of compassion clubs and other non-medical models of distributing medications.”
The Conservative Party of BC in a press release criticized Dr Henry for advocating such a program. “Dr. Bonnie Henry’s support for selling meth and other harmful drugs in government stores is not only shocking but also incredibly irresponsible,” said John Rustad, Leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia. “This approach is not a solution to our drug crisis; it is an endorsement of dangerous substances that have destroyed countless lives and families. Our communities deserve better.”
Elenore Sturko, Conservative Party MLA for Surrey South and candidate for Surrey-Cloverdale, echoed Rustad’s sentiments. “As someone who has worked on the front lines of public safety, I find Dr. Henry’s stance deeply troubling. We should be focused on providing support and treatment for those struggling with addiction, not making it easier for them to access these deadly substances. This policy will only exacerbate the crisis we are facing in our communities. Premier Eby claims he’s not in favour of hard drug legalization, now’s the time for him to show he’s not lying.”
She added, “the recent proposal to offer a range of substances, including methamphetamine, in government-run or private retail spaces is a deeply flawed and dangerous model. The idea that hard drugs could be sold in various formats and compositions, with government-determined pricing, is reckless. This plan, while claiming to support individual agency and independence from medicalized rules, overlooks the severe public health risks and the potential for increased substance abuse. This government would effectively be using taxpayer dollars to subsidize drug trafficking and there’s no oversight to where the drugs go after they’re sold.”
