Health and emergency officials are calling the growing opioid overdoses in the city, ‘a community crisis.’
A group of them held a news conference at city police headquarters to drive home the point and many appearing to believe more government funding is needed to deal with it.
Cynthia Olsen, who heads the Thunder Bay Drug Strategy, thinks more funding for treatment programs is needed since some addicts have to be turned away.
She notes “people are dying and this is avoidable, and so we need more overdose prevention services.”
Chris Adams of the Thunder Bay Police Service admits its something which is difficult to handle without outside assistance.
Says Adams, “we clearly see we cannot arrest our way out of this…this is about dealing with a real health and safety issue that needs broader help and support.”
Tanelle Rabachuck, of the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, was even more blunt, warning provincial cuts to social programs are “really going to affect and increase our opioid crisis.”
Officials note Thunder Bay has the highest distribution rate in Ontario for Naloxone which is used to treat opioid overdoses.
