FORSETH: BC's unsafe hospitals... does a nurse have to be stabbed before these people listen?

For the second day in a row, the BC provincial government has been grilled in the BC Legislature about its “Drug decriminalization program and illicit drug use in health care facilities”. The revelations are an enormous embarrassment to the NDP's high-minded ideologues, who lacked the courage to enforce laws and stand against the pressures of a permissive culture.Most serious hurtful drugs originate offshore. No community in our nation has gone unaffected. Even remote northern communities have been affected and beyond the obvious and immediate health impacts, this serious social destabilization is an element to undermine our democratic freedom-loving way of life. What better way for a foreign power to turn Canadian against Canadian, as we emotionally grieve the deaths of thousands of our citizens?How bad is it? Canada has been grappling with a public health crisis of substance abuse. Here are some key findings regarding opioid and stimulant-related harms in Canada. Between January 2016 and September 2023, there were 42,494 apparent opioid toxicity deaths reported. In 2023, 88% of these deaths occurred in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.Males accounted for 72% of deaths during the same period, and the age group of 20 to 59 years accounted for 88% of these deaths. Fentanyl was involved in 82% of accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths in 2023, and 82% of these deaths were associated with non-pharmaceutical opioids (street drugs).The crisis has had a tragic impact on families and communities across the country. Efforts to address the problem have involved harm reduction schemes, treatment, prevention strategies, and justice diversion programs.The federal Health Canada says it is crucial to continue raising awareness and implementing evidence-based interventions to reduce the devastating outcomes. However in BC, the NDP government appears reluctant to see anything going on that runs contrary to its ideological beliefs.Typical was on Tuesday this week, when the Speaker had to frequently intervene during a rowdy debate of the BC Legislature over drugs. Official opposition BC United Party MLA Shirley Bond accused the government of not protecting nursing staff who are obliged to deal with 'patients' taking drugs in hospital wards: "Another day," she said, "and more stories from nurses about the crisis of open illicit drug use in our hospitals. This unprecedented chaos of drug use didn't just happen. It's happening as a direct result of deliberate NDP policy choices."And from Minister of Health Adrian Dix? Denial worthy of the prime minister himself, and bureaucratic obfuscation about replacing privatized security staff with the "the occupational health and safety organization, which had been cut by the previous government... in 2010... We're going to continue to listen to nurses, to meet with nurses, and to work with nurses — and other health care workers, health sciences professionals and others — to ensure that they are safer in hospital."But as Bond continued, nothing had actually changed. "Well, we should be clear what this minister and Premier put in place are specific policy choices that are causing rampant illicit drug use in hospitals across British Columbia. In fact, nurses are instructed to distribute burner kits, crack pipes, and lock boxes to store their drugs, drug paraphernalia, and weapons. We should be clear. This minister is facilitating the illicit use of drugs in hospitals across British Columbia. He can shake his head all he wants, but nurses across this province are telling him, are telling us, and are telling British Columbians: it has to stop."And so it went on. Whatever the minister says, in some parts of BC, the medical staff are facing this kind of thing every shift and for now, it appears that the government is not about to adjust its policy on drugs despite the evidence. Does some poor nurse have to get stabbed before change happens? (Yes, medical staff who are not allowed to confiscate drugs are not allowed to confiscate weapons, either.)Erroneous ideas produce poor policy. Then when real-world evidence comes up against the bias of belief, change must begin with the recognition that a problem exists.That recognition has yet to happen. The NDP ignores warnings it gets from ironically, one if its key union bases. It also ignores the RCMP, which has presented evidence of taxpayer-funded drugs going directly into the hands of drug dealers. (Prince George's RCMP has the clearest evidence possible of the drug crisis. They witnessed the exchange of these drugs from users to dealers right outside a pharmacy.) Meanwhile Health Canada data reveals more than a 300% surge in people experiencing hydromorphone seizures. On this one topic, it appears that the official opposition — that is the 26 members of the BC United Party and the two BC Conservative Party MLAs — are agreed: The government should end the taxpayer-funded drug trafficking and decriminalization experiment. The NDP's misguided philosophy is revealed, and their unwillingness to acknowledge contrary evidence to their beliefs hurts everyone.

FORSETH: BC's unsafe hospitals... does a nurse have to be stabbed before these people listen?

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