It was six years ago when the government of BC. declared a state of emergency for opioids. Since then, more than 9,000 people have died from drug overdoses. “I would actually call it this other pandemic,” said Rev. Chuck of the North Okanagan community. “The number of deaths … it’s hard to watch and remember people because they die so fast. “People are constantly dying and we need to have more resources to help people.” Chuck said not only should services work closely together to support those in crisis, but there should be more resources for treatment and recovery. “We need a detox center here in Vernon, more treatment beds here in Vernon, second and third stages of recovery, we need more things like that,” Chuck said. Counc. Kelly Fehr was at the event representing the city of Vernon. Fehr said that for the past two years, COVID has been distracting from the opioid crisis. “Now is an opportunity for us to raise awareness about this epidemic that is killing hundreds of thousands of people,” Fer said. “We need to start reducing the stigma … people need to feel comfortable talking about having substance abuse problems. “It’s not uncommon for people in all walks of life to have this kind of experience,” said Fehr, who encourages people to seek help and not be ashamed. The national team Moms Stop The Harm is also raising awareness about the crisis. Their site has stories of those who have lost loved ones, as well as links to numerous support services.
