'A life and death crisis': Safer, regulated drug supply wanted by overdose awareness advocates

Manitobans who have lost loved ones to an overdose lined the legislative building’s steps with purple ribbons and unsent greeting cards Wednesday and asked the province to make clean drugs accessible.

“This is a life and death crisis we are in, here in Manitoba and across Canada,” said Arlene Last-Kolb, cofounder of Overdose Awareness Manitoba, who lost her son Jessie to fentanyl drug poisoning in 2014.

“This drug toxicity is killing our loved ones every day.”

The group said that 1,879 Manitobans have died from poisoned drugs and other drug-related harms between January 2014 and January 2022. Of that number, 407 died in 2021, and 107 died in the first three months of 2022.

“My question is, ‘are we going to police our way out of this, will arresting take care of the toxic supply?’ No. But replacing it will,” said Last-Kolb in a speech. “We need a safer regulated supply and we need way more funds and we need this now.”

She said the focus for change should be on Premier Heather Stefanson because she is the one who can make these changes.

Last-Kolb wondered why Stefanson was not at the Overdose Awareness Day event Wednesday afternoon event at the legislative building steps.

Stefanson was instead at a scheduled announcement on inflation; she was wearing a purple ribbon which is the symbol for overdose awareness.

“I know I have a pretty hectic schedule for today,” said Stefanson when asked about Last-Kolb’s disappointment. “But what I will say to her and to all others who have lost loved ones to this horrific disease. It’s very real and it hurts so many, so many families and we’ve taken that very, very seriously.”

Stefanson said the province has put more money towards mental health and addictions, and the focus is wanting to move people off of their addictions and that is why the province is increasing the number of Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine Clinics (RAAM).

There are six RAAM clinics in Manitoba - in Winnipeg, Brandon, Selkirk, Thompson and Portage la Prairie.

RAAMs are walk-in clinics where people are seen on a first-come, first-served basis with some prioritization.

Manitobans can also get harm reduction supplies and naloxone kits from RAAM clinics.

People looking for help with addictions can also call the Manitoba Addictions Helpline which is 1-855-662-6605.

When asked about safe-consumption sites, Stefanson said she, her party and caucus are not convinced that it is the remedy for everyone.

“We’ve seen other communities where they haven’t worked or they’ve had unintended consequences of creating more crime activity around those sites,” she said.

Stefanson added the province is continuing to look at what is best moving forward; For now, the focus is RAAM clinics.

Catherine Parent’s son Anthony Parent died from a pill that was laced with fentanyl in November 2021. He had just turned 38 years old. Catherine said his heroin addiction started when prescription pain pills he was given to treat a car accident injury no longer worked.

“The December before, he told me he didn’t want to live like that anymore and he came home to get clean, and he got clean and he went on the suboxone program,” she said.

“We talked so much about fentanyl and I know my son would never purposely take anything with fentanyl and I don’t understand why people, to make an extra $5, are putting fentanyl into drugs to make them way more (deadly).”

Catherine said she would like police to start arresting street dealers who are knowingly selling fentanyl-laced drugs.

Wednesday was Catherine's first Overdose Awareness Day since her son’s passing. Though emotional, she said it was comforting to meet families with similar stories to hers.

“We are losing our children, and they are losing their parents. I don’t want people to judge. Please don’t judge. Just please understand that it’s an addiction, it’s a sickness.”

An Overdose Awareness Day vigil is scheduled for Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Gone Too Soon Memorial Garden in Stephen Juba Park on Waterfront Drive.

Augustine United Church, RBC Convention Centre, IG Field, the Winnipeg Sign and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights will also be lit up purple Wednesday night to mark Overdose Awareness Day.