Talk to your kids. Don’t stigmatize drug use. Keep the conversation about what’s safe, rather than what’s legal.
That was some of the advice handed out Wednesday evening at a forum in North Vancouver where several hundred people packed Centennial Theatre for a forum on fentanyl and youth drug use.
The large turnout at the forum speaks about the fear the drug prompts, especially in parents, said Cpl. Richard De Jong, spokesman for the North Vancouver RCMP detachment.
But health authorities stressed it’s also important to keep the risks in perspective and keep lines of communication open.
Dr. Mark Lysyshyn, medical health officer for the North Shore, said both overdose deaths and emergency room visits from fentanyl have surged across the province in the past five years. Recent testing of those showing up to hospital emergency wards reveal three-quarters of those with fentanyl in their system don’t even know they’ve taken the drug, he said.
Unlike past drug overdose epidemics, where the crisis was largely confined to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, this time the problem is being seen across the province, he added.
Lysyshyn said health authorities believe there is fentanyl in drugs on the North Shore. Staff at the North Shore’s Emergency Lookout Shelter, for instance, have reversed several suspected overdoses by using injectable naloxone.
So far, however, the problem remains statistically low here.
There have been three fentanyl deaths in North Vancouver in the last two years and fewer than 10 drug overdose deaths overall in 2016, said Lysyshyn.
Lions Gate Hospital sees only two per cent of the people who come to ERs in the Lower Mainland with overdose symptoms, said Lysyshyn, while St. Paul’s sees over 80 per cent.
The drug is mainly killing young adults, rather than teens, he said. Only one per cent of fentanyl deaths are among those under 19.
“This is not predominantly a problem that is affecting youth,” he said.
Lysyshyn said the best way for families to keep their teens safe is by using the same approach to fentanyl that’s recommended for all discussions on drugs and potentially harmful substances.
“Youth need to know you care about them and are there to help them deal with their problems in a non-judgmental way,” he told parents. “When you say ‘Don’t use’ and (the person) is using, it doesn’t allow you to have a conversation.”
Lysyshyn said stigma around drug use is what causes people to use drugs alone, which is dangerous. In cases of overdose where paramedics are called and administer naloxone, people always survive, he said. It’s those who overdose by themselves with nobody around to call for help who end up dying.
That message was echoed by prevention educator Kerrie Watt with Vancouver Coastal Health. “Stop worrying about legality,” she said. “Worry about safety.”
Supt. Chris Kennedy, officer in charge of the North Vancouver RCMP, said there’s no doubt fentanyl is dangerous, even in microscopic doses, but added, “I don’t want this to be about panic or fear. I want this to be about education.”
Kennedy said there have been 24 cases on the North Shore where fentanyl has been involved or suspected. But overall, “We remain safe,” he added.
Lysyshyn added naloxone – an antidote to fentanyl and other opioids – can now be bought at a pharmacy by anyone for about $50. Free kits are available to people at high risk of overdose at several community health centres on the North Shore.
Lysyshyn said there are no ill effects of taking naloxone if someone isn’t suffering an overdose.
Replying to an audience question, he said so far there is no evidence that fentanyl has been found in marijuana, although it has been found in stimulants like cocaine as well as mixed with other opioids like heroin.
One woman in the audience told a powerful personal story about standing next to the casket of her friend’s daughter, a woman in her 20s who died after taking cocaine likely laced with fentanyl.
One man asked if there is any cost-effective way to quickly test for the presence of fentanyl. Lysyshyn said tests using simple strips are being piloted at Insite, Vancouver’s supervised injection site, but authorities don’t know yet how accurate they are. “We don’t know if you get a negative test with this strip that the drugs are safe to use,” he said.
