The BC Nurses Union is calling on Ottawa to declare a national public health emergency to deal with the opioid death crisis -- and more.
The union says the devastating toll on communities in BC and across the country demands stronger federal action.
BC Nurses' Union President Christine Sorensen acknowledged the federal government's ongoing efforts such as the easing of rules to allow the expansion of supervised injection sites and making naloxone available without a prescription, but says more has to be done.
She points to the death of Comox resident Ryan Hedican as just one example of the devastating toll the crisis is taking on families and communities, and encourages the public to sign a petition going to the House of Commons demanding personal possession of all opioids be decriminalized, and access to a safe opioid supply ne provided.
Sorensen says BC is facing one of the worst overdose crises in the country, with almost 2-thousand British Columbians dying of preventable opioid overdose in 2016 and 2017, and the second highest monthly toll in BC's history in March, with 160 deaths.