The Yukon’s member of parliament is initiating further study of drug-related deaths across Canada through a federal standing committee.
Following a motion in parliament by Brendan Hanley, parliament’s standing committee on health will study “Canada’s opioid epidemic and toxic drug crisis.” The motion was made earlier this year, but work on the study began this month; it will continue into 2024.
Per a Dec. 14 notice from Hanley’s office, Yukoners and other Canadians will be able to contribute to the study by submitting briefs to the committee. The intent of the briefs is to allow the committee members to understand varying perspectives on the issue. Along with informing any recommendations the committee may make to Parliament, the briefs will be included in its report.
“In April 2016, when I was Chief Medical Officer of Health for the territory, we witnessed the first fentanyl death in the Yukon. In that same month, B.C. declared a public health emergency due to a shocking rise in opioid deaths in that province,” Hanley said.
“Today, the Yukon has one of the highest opioid and toxic drug-related death rates in the country. Indigenous people remain disproportionately affected. We are determined to address the urgency of this crisis, as well as the need to focus on Indigenous, rural, northern and remote communities.”
According to information provided by the Yukon coroner’s service in November, the Yukon has seen at least 18 drug-related deaths this year with 16 of those related to fentanyl. The coroner’s service had tied 93 deaths to opioids since the first one in the spring of 2016 mentioned by Hanley. Almost all of these have been fentanyl related.
Hanley’s notice about the new study notes that the problem is ongoing despite a nationwide strategy and $359 million in spending approved over the next five years. The stated goal of the fresh committee study is to “inform and adapt the government’s opioid response.”
The motion directing the health committee requires that it meet at least eight times to discuss the issue with one of those meetings to focus specifically on Indigenous, rural, northern and remote communities.
Those interested in submitting a brief to the committee studying the drug crisis should consult the guide on their content requirements available at www.ourcommons.ca.
Help is available. Yukoners can call 1-866-456-3838 to get connected to a counsellor through Mental Wellness and Substance Use Services – this is available to all Yukoners. The Department of Health and Social Services continues to provide Opioid Treatment Services, including safer supply. Yukoners can call 867-668-2552 and self-refer for an appointment, which can often be scheduled the same day. Walk-ins for this service are also available. Opioid Treatment Services are provided at the Referred Care Clinic, Blood Ties Four Directions (Supervised Consumption Site), 405 Alexander Street, Housing First and Cornerstone.
Contact Jim Elliot at jim.elliot@yukon-news.com