Lisa Marie Barron (L) and Gord Johns finished their Nanaimo tour on Friday at the Caledonia Park Emergency Centre. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Jordan Davidson

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NANAIMO — Two local Members of Parliament were in Nanaimo Friday, speaking to those on the ground, fighting the city’s ongoing toxic drug crisis.

Courtenay-Alberni MP and NDP critic for mental health and addition Gord Johns joined Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP Lisa Marie Barron to see the impacts first hand. Both visited several community groups in Nanaimo dealing with mental health and additions.

Speaking outside of the Caledonia Park Emergency Shelter, Barron said all these organizations are talking about changing the conversation around addictions and mental health to help save lives.

“People are tired, people are exhausted seeing too many people dying unnecessarily. It’s an emergency. My mind is blown as to why we haven’t done more to date. Community members are definitely speaking in support of changing the conversation.”

Changing the conversation about addiction from a criminal issue to a community health issue is what Johns wants to do.

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He recently tabled his private members bill C-216, ‘The Health-Based Approach to Substance Use Act’ which decriminalizes simple possession of drugs among other steps.

Johns said we’re in the middle of a serious health crisis when it comes to drug toxicity deaths which are still being treated as a criminal matter. He said it only adds barriers for people who want to seek treatment.

“We’ve got leaders from all political parties stating that it’s a health issue, yet if people use drugs, and have drugs, they could be charged criminally. They are not seeking the harm reduction supports they need, and/or they are being criminalized. This is preventing from getting help.”

On Wednesday, the BC Coroners Service released a report and once again recommended safer supply and more supports to help battle the drug toxicity crisis.

It also supported a push from the provincial government for B.C. to receive an exemption from Canada’s law for personal possession.

Deaths from toxic drugs are the leading cause of unnatural death in the province, accounting for more deaths than suicides, homicides, motor vehicle accidents, drownings, and fire-related deaths combined.

B.C. recorded a record 2,224 deaths linked to toxic drugs last year, with 120 on central Vancouver Island, including 49 of those occurring in Nanaimo.

It was the second-highest number of deaths since 56 fatalities occurred in 2017.

Barron and Johns met with a number of different groups before finishing their tour at the Caledonia Park, including members of Nanaimo Area Resource Service for Families, Community Action Team, and the Canadian Mental Health Association.

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