City of Vancouver plans public forum as overdose numbers rise
Posted December 6, 2016 4:11 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – New numbers from Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services show the overdose crisis seems to be getting worse, with more cases reported in November than any other month this year.
With firefighters now facing longer hours and higher stress levels, the city of Vancouver is planning a public forum discuss the problem, and to come up with more solutions.
“What’s really important is that we bring all parts of our community together to identify what some of those other solutions might be,” says public policy manager Mary Claire Zaks.
The forum is planned for Thursday at 7 p.m. at Vancouver city hall. It will hear from Mayor Gregor Robertson, various experts in the health and addictions field, and the loved-ones of overdose victims.
Firefighters responded to 735 overdoses last month, compared to 261 in January. They also administered the counteractive drug Naloxone 35 times, also a new high for 2016.
The city adds 124 of the province’s 620 overdose deaths so far this year happened in Vancouver.
Beyond Thursday’s forum, Zaks says there are sure to be line-items in the 2017 city budget aimed at combatting overdoses, though it’s up to council to determine the size of the investment.
