National fentanyl task force led by Vancouver’s mayor
Posted February 3, 2017 12:01 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Mayors from a dozen major Canadian cities have launched a task force to tackle the ongoing opioid crisis and it will be led by Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson.
“The fentanyl opioid crisis is a horrific public health emergency in Vancouver with an unprecedented overdose death toll,” says Robertson. “Community groups and volunteers at pop-up sites have been heroic in their tireless efforts to save lives but the intensity and frequency of these emergency calls is putting a severe strain on all our front-line workers.”
The big cities’ mayor caucus of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities wants to share experiences and best practices in an effort to stem the escalating number of overdose deaths.
The task force will meet with federal Health Minister Jane Philpott and Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, though a date has not yet been set. Representatives from the provinces and territories will also be invited to attend.
Opioid overdose deaths surged in 2016, with 914 people losing their lives last year in BC, including 142 in December alone.
The City of Vancouver recently approved new investments as part of the second phase of a total $3.5 million the city has allocated to address the fentanyl crisis.
