In spite of a massive spike in overdose death, BC’s government still refuses to offer a genuinely safe supply of drugs. Eris Nyx and Jeremy Kalicum tell the story of how the Drug User Liberation Front has stepped up to do what the policy makers refuse to do themselves: offer people a safe version of the drugs they already use. 

Then, Crackdown’s science advisor, Professor Ryan McNeil talks about his recently published work on BC’s “risk mitigation guidelines.” Why has this program failed to curb overdose deaths and what needs to be done to improve it? 

Works Cited

Ed Day, Julie Ison, and John Strang, “Inpatient Versus Other Settings for Detoxification for Opioid Dependence,” Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2 (2005). 

Jake R. Morgan et al., “Comparison of Rates of Overdose and Hospitalization After Initiation of Medication for Opioid Use Disorder in the Inpatient vs Outpatient Setting,” JAMA Network Open 3:12 (2020).

Jason Luty, “What Works in Drug Addiction?” Adv Psychiatr Treat 9 (2003): 280–288.

Jeong E. Min et al., “Estimates of Opioid Use Disorder Prevalence from a Regression-Based Multi-Sample Stratified Capture-Recapture Analysis,” Drug and Alcohol Dependence 217 (2020).

John Strang et al., “Loss of Tolerance and Overdose Mortality after Inpatient Opiate Detoxification: Follow Up Study,” BMJ 326:7396 (2003): 959–960.

Ryan McNeil et al., “Implementation of Safe Supply Alternatives During Intersecting COVID-19 and Overdose Health Emergencies in British Columbia, Canada, 2021,” American Journal of Public Health, March 9, 2022, 1-8. 

The Canadian Press, “B.C. Cabinet Ministers in Line to Keep 10% Portion of Pay Usually Withheld in Deficit Years,” CBC, Feb 24 2022. 

Credits 

Crackdown is produced on Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh territories.

If you like what we do, please consider donating to the show on Patreon.

Special thanks to Professors Bohdan Nosyk and Bernie Paulie for their help. 

Our editorial board is: Samona Marsh, Shelda Kastor, Greg Fresz, Jeff Louden, Dean Wilson, Laura Shaver, Reija Jean. Rest in Peace Dave Murray and Chereece Keewatin.

This episode was conceptualized, written, and produced by Rainbow, Sam Fenn, Alexander Kim, Alex De Boer, Danya Fast, Ryan McNeil, Lisa Hale and Garth Mullins.

Sound design by Alexander Kim.

Original score was written and performed by James Ash, Sam Fenn, and Garth Mullins.

Crackdown is funded in part by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Social Sciences and Research Council of Canada.