Pubdate: Wed, 16 Jul 2008
Source: Nanaimo Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2008 Nanaimo Daily News
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1608
Author: Danielle Bell

DRUGS CLAIM ANOTHER LIFE

Many addicts want treatment but lose interest waiting: Two deaths in 
less than 24 hours highlights ongoing desperate situation

A pair of deaths on south-end Nanaimo streets on Monday has drawn 
further attention to the community's ongoing battle with drugs.

On Monday, the body of a 26-year-old female with "obvious signs of 
drug use" was found near a phone booth on Haliburton Street around 
7:45 a.m. Less than five hours later, a woman reportedly could not 
wake her friend up after a night of partying. A 59-year-old man 
reportedly overdosed in an apartment in the 1000-block of Farquhar 
Street. Police do not suspect foul play in either incident.

Nanaimo is not the only city dealing with drug-related issues, and 
some front-line responders believe the city desperately needs more 
resources, such as outreach workers and detox facilities, to get the 
addicted off the streets. Interest is also growing among area 
residents hoping to battle back with the creation of a community watch program.

While the south-end territory is known to police for its drug use and 
nusiance properties, "it's a little odd that you get two (drug 
overdoses) in one day," said Nanaimo RCMP spokesman Const. Gary O'Brien.

Several years ago, when a potent strain of heroin made the rounds in 
Nanaimo, emergency officials reported seven to 10 calls each shift of 
suspected overdoses.

Whether a high-potency drug or a new strain recently hit the streets, 
regular users hit a "bad patch," or the deaths are simply a tragic 
set of coincidences, "we're not hearing anything at this point," said O'Brien.

Addicts snort, smoke and shoot whatever they can afford and get their 
hands on, whether it be cocaine, methampetamine, mouthwash, shoe 
polish or aftershave.

For Nanaimo paramedic John Hosie, who responded to Monday's discovery 
of the woman's body, the scene was nothing new.

"I wouldn't consider the events any different than any other day 
here," he said, referring to the city's drug problem. "I don't think 
it is any better or any worse. It's just there."

With more than two decades of experience in Nanaimo, Hosie has 
responded to thousands of substance abuse incidents all over the city.

In the south end, he knows many of the addicts by name. Paramedics 
receive an average of three calls each day on any shift related to 
substance abuse in the area.

"It's nothing for some of the people to have 100 calls in a calendar 
year," said Hosie.

Stimulant-based drugs, or "uppers," can cause cardiac arrest, while 
sedative-based drugs, or "downers," can essentially have victims 
suffocating themselves, when the drug erodes the brain's ability to 
tell the body to breathe. An overdose is categorized as any amount of 
illicit drug or medicine that causes an adverse or negative result 
when taken in any form.

When people are in cardiac arrest and it is not reported, survival 
rates are less than 1%.

Substance abuse, underlying health problems and mental health issues 
(commonly seen on the streets) "battle for first place," said Hosie, 
who believes more front-line staff and resources are needed. 
"Unfortunately, a lot of people we see on the street want to go to a 
treatment facility," said Hosie.

However, with long waiting periods for treatment programs which can 
be relatively brief, addicts lose interest and "it's somewhat of a 
revolving door. I really don't believe personally that (drug issues) 
are going to go away," he said.

City social planner John Horn said hearing news of the recent drug 
deaths is "distressing," but he does not believe that the incidents 
are evidence that Nanaimo's drug landscape has radically changed. 
"It's distressing but I think it's sort of business as usual in the 
drug trade," said Horn on Tuesday. "I think what we do need a little 
more of is having community treatment teams."

While there is always room for more detox programs, said Horn, "if 
(drug addicts) were truly committed, it would happen for (them)."

Longtime Haliburton Street residents Doug and Tanya Hiltz, who have 
been working to rebuild their neighbourhood for years, hope to 
prevent such drug deaths through the creation of a community watch program.

Since the Daily News reported on Monday that the Hiltzes wanted to 
start such a program, the couple had already received about a dozen 
e-mails by early afternoon Tuesday.

"The only way to build a strong community is to get community watch," 
said Tanya Hiltz.

The initiative, which would report suspicious vehicles, people and 
activity to police, has garnered so much immediate interest the 
Hiltzes said Tuesday that they're installing a separate phone line to 
handle program-related calls. They plan to break down the area into 
blocks, each with a team captain and assistant. They plan to 
distribute flyers and also create a website. The couple can be 
reached at - - - -

COMPARISONS

Average Number of Illicit drug deaths per year between 2000-2004

Duncan 1 Kamloops 6.2 Kelowna 4.8 Nanaimo 6.4 Prince George 3.2 Victoria 19.6

- -- B.C. Coroners Service
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom