The core problem remains the same. It has become worse. Particularly here in B.C., as you alluded to, if you look at the graphs in the B.C. coroner's reports, we see that not only do we continue to have these persistently high levels of illicit fentanyl in these post-mortem toxicology reports, but benzodiazepines have continued to steadily rise and increase.
When we're looking at reasons for why deaths are continuing unabated, relatively speaking, despite some measures being taken, that is something big to contend with.
I think the big thing that has changed, though, since 2020-21 is that we're in the midst of a major backlash against measures that are evidence-based and that we know save lives. Specifically, these are supervised consumption sites, regulated safer supply and treating people who have substance use disorder as people rather than as criminals.
When I wrote Overdose, to be quite honest, I actually thought I was wasting my time on a few chapters in the book in which I was arguing why we need to have supervised consumption sites and why we need to have alternatives to toxic drugs. At the time I wrote it, I thought it was so self-evident and that was where things were going. Now we see it going in completely the opposite way.
The biggest concern I have right now is the misinformation and the lies that are blocking life-saving interventions.