Advocate says overdose crisis ‘talked about’ differently following results of survey

An overdose survey done by the Angus Reid Institute is shedding light on how Canadians are looking at our nation’s “other epidemic.”

The survey, which was released Wednesday, said its findings — which are based on a comprehensive study of more than 5,000 Canadian adults — revealed two trends defining the opioid epidemic in the public discourse.

Seven in 10 Canadians say they feel the problem has worsened, with 48 per cent saying it’s worsening in their own community.

On a local level, 68 per cent of Saskatchewan residents said the problem of opioid use was either a “severe problem” or a “crisis.” That’s more than all provinces with the exception of British Columbia.

Taylor Balfour is a student journalist, currently the editor-in-chief of The Carillon — the University of Regina’s student newspaper. She has become an advocate following the death of her sister, Rachel.

“My younger sister was 18 when she passed away. It was in 2019 and she had been found in her university dorm room,” Taylor said Wednesday. “The toxicology report revealed that she had taken a combination (of) methamphetamine and heroin that was laced with fentanyl. And the fentanyl (was) what caused her overdose and, ultimately, her death.”

Balfour said it wasn’t until several months following Rachel’s death that the family learned of the report. Following that, Taylor said she and her family weren’t sure what to do with that information.

(L-R) Sisters Taylor and Rachel Balfour. (Taylor Balfour/Submitted)

“My family’s concern was we didn’t know if we wanted to be honest with people because we weren’t sure about the stigma. We weren’t sure what people were going to think of not only her but also us,” Taylor explained.

Balfour described her sister as a “bright-eyed,” “straight-A” 18-year-old student. Taylor said it wasn’t until later on in 2019 that the family began talking about Rachel’s death as an overdose. She said their mentality changed, based on one aspect of how they looked at the situation.

“We don’t gain anything by being silent. We need to put a face to the crisis that is stigmatized,” she said.

When asked about the latest survey, and Saskatchewan’s respondents’ feelings of a crisis-level look at the overdose crisis, Balfour said a lot has changed since Rachel’s death.

“It doesn’t take a long Google search in order to find slews of people saying that addiction is a choice, that, ‘If you use drugs and you die, you reap what you sow,’ ” she explained.

“The general reaction (to Rachel’s death at the time) … sucks because the only solution we could come up with was, ‘Don’t do drugs.’ ”

She explained that mentality doesn’t really solve any underlying problems, yet she believes that because of COVID-19, the lockdown changed that stigma.

“It feels like it’s become more talked about, that it isn’t a choice. It’s a means of survival when people are suffering,” she explained.

Survey shows how Saskatchewanians see government response to the issue

Overall, just three per cent of Canadians said they feel their provincial governments are doing a “very good” job in dealing with drug use and addictions. Thirty per cent said jurisdictions were doing a “poor job,” with another 22 per cent saying a “very poor job.”

That’s reflected in Saskatchewan, as three per cent say the province is doing a “very good” job while 58 per cent say Saskatchewan is doing a “poor” or “very poor” job (30 and 28 per cent respectively).

Jason Mercredi poses for a photo outside of the safe consumption site minutes following its official opening to the public on Oct. 1, 2020. (Brady Lang/650 CKOM)

In total, 88 per cent of Saskatchewan respondents believe compulsory treatment programs should be the approach taken. Support for supervised injection sites was more common if the respondent voted NDP in the last election as well, with 89 per cent in favour.

On the other side of the spectrum, respondents identifying as supporters of the Saskatchewan Party were 31 per cent in favour, with total respondents split down the middle on the topic at 50 per cent.

Balfour believes there are a few things that should be done, but added at the end of the day, safe consumption sites are a “safe haven” for those struggling.

“Unfortunately, not a lot of people actually know how safe consumption sites work,” she explained, before noting Saskatoon’s Prairie Harm Reduction’s social media following has helped people understand more about services that are offered.

“It’s really breaking down the stigma of what people think safe consumption sites are, which is essentially just a place to go and consume (without) the risk of fentanyl poisoning, as well as being able to access supports for the underlying problems that cause addiction.”

She added that homelessness, mental health struggles, various forms of poverty, abuse or trauma contribute to a variety of problems.

“As soon as we’re able to address (the idea that) no one wants to be a drug user and no one wants to be a drug addict … that will really open the doors to a lot of supports,” Balfour explained.

“Safe consumption sites are one really important aspect, but I think being able to address all these underlying causes is also extremely important … I feel like if those problems are never addressed, even if it’s not the opioid crisis, more crises will come.”

There were 496 respondents in the survey from Saskatchewan. Since the 2020 calendar year, 172 confirmed overdose deaths have occurred in Saskatchewan. Additionally, 241 suspected deaths have occurred, including 36 in the first calendar month of 2021. That is a cumulative total of 413 deaths since Jan. 1, 2020.