Evidence of meeting #119 for Health in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was drugs.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:45 p.m.
British Columbia Provincial Health Officer, As an Individual
I don't think we're having more drugs on the street. What we're seeing is the toxicity of the drugs on the street. That has been driving this crisis.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB
Based on rough math, there are about 50 million safe-supply hydromorphone pills prescribed in British Columbia every year.
How many of those 50 million pills would it be acceptable to divert into the hands of gangs and people who are profiting off the deaths of Canadians?
12:45 p.m.
British Columbia Provincial Health Officer, As an Individual
None would be acceptable in that circumstance.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB
Okay. How many would it be acceptable to divert into the hands of youth?
12:45 p.m.
British Columbia Provincial Health Officer, As an Individual
None of us want our youth to be taking drugs. We know that taking prescription drugs is something we have seen for many years in young people. That's often where people start.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB
Because of this, what has the Government of British Columbia done to reduce diversion and prevent these potent drugs from getting into the hands of kids?
12:50 p.m.
British Columbia Provincial Health Officer, As an Individual
That is one of the things we need to pay a lot of attention to. What is it that gives young people the strength to understand what's out there, go against peer pressure and—
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB
I understand all of that. Peer pressure has existed since time immemorial.
What has the Government of B.C. done since they introduced 50 million pills of hydromorphone—a highly potent synthetic opioid that is stronger than heroin—into the market to prevent them from getting into kids' hands? Has anything happened to prevent them from getting into kids' hands?
12:50 p.m.
British Columbia Provincial Health Officer, As an Individual
Of course we have. With the programs we have that are prescribed.... “Safer supply” means people have a prescription. They have a relationship with the prescriber to access medications. We know there are people who share medications and people who keep their drugs [Inaudible—Editor] for different times.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB
Do you think people sharing their safe supply is compassionate? We heard that from one witness here.
12:50 p.m.
British Columbia Provincial Health Officer, As an Individual
In some cases, it is. It's a symptom of unmet needs for people who can't access.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB
As a medical doctor, are you comfortable with people sharing their safe supply with another person who is struggling with addiction?
12:50 p.m.
British Columbia Provincial Health Officer, As an Individual
I think it is a better alternative than the street drugs people are required to access to maintain their addictions. That's the challenge. The challenge is that we have unmet needs. People cannot get access.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB
Just to clarify, you think it is fine to divert your prescribed safe supply, as long as the person you're sharing it with has unmet needs. It's absolutely A-okay, even if it's a teenager or a child.
12:50 p.m.
British Columbia Provincial Health Officer, As an Individual
You know, I think you're trying to make this scenario into something it is not. That's not what we're dealing with. What we're dealing with is people who are not able to access programs.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB
It is what we're dealing with. It's what we're hearing.
12:50 p.m.
British Columbia Provincial Health Officer, As an Individual
We need to be better at providing people with the medications they need to get them on that road we all want them to be on: recovery.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB
What is the wait time, approximately, for a 12-year-old child in Cranbrook, British Columbia, to get access to detox?
12:50 p.m.
British Columbia Provincial Health Officer, As an Individual
I don't have an answer to that question.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
12:50 p.m.
British Columbia Provincial Health Officer, As an Individual
Absolutely. If that child needs it, they should have access to supports from somebody who is trained to understand their needs and is able to support them.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB
Regarding a child who is addicted to drugs and ends up in the ER in Cranbrook, British Columbia, do you think they should be released because there is no detox space available?
12:50 p.m.
British Columbia Provincial Health Officer, As an Individual
I think they need to have a relationship with a provider who supports them for their needs at that moment—absolutely.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB
[Technical difficulty—Editor] desperately seeking help is meeting their needs?
