Pubdate: Tue, 24 Apr 2012
Source: Abbotsford Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 The Abbotsford Times
Contact:  http://www.abbotsfordtimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1009
Author: Rochelle Baker
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?143 (Hepatitis)

DRUG OVERDOSES UP, HEP C HIGH

Numbers in an upcoming Fraser Health report for the City of 
Abbotsford around injection drug use show relatively high rates of 
overdose hospitalizations, deaths and hepatitis C rates within the community.

And those rates may be tied to the city's lack of harm reduction 
services, says a Fraser Health expert.

Abbotsford was second only to New Westminster for the rate of people 
admitted to hospital because of illegal drug overdoses in a 
comparison that included Surrey and Burnaby.

Between 2006/07 and 2010/11, New Westminster's overdose hospital 
admission rate was 23.6 per 100,000 people.

Abbotsford's was second with a rate of 21.9, Surrey's was 17.3 and 
Burnaby's was 11.4. The rates are based on where the drugs users 
live, not to which hospital they were admitted.

Abbotsford's illegal drug overdose death rate was fourth out of five 
communities on a per capita basis from 2005 to 2009, although 
mortality from drugs in the city has been going down in that same time frame.

Vancouver's mortality overdose rate was first with a rate of 11.79, 
New Westminster's was 11.07, Surrey's was 9.01, Abbotsford's was at 
8.08, while Burnaby was last at 4.89.

The data is in a Fraser Health report on injection drug use and a 
proposed harm reduction service plan for Abbotsford, which is 
reviewing its anti harm-reduction bylaw.

Abbotsford council passed a 2005 bylaw that bans harm reduction 
facilities such as needle exchanges or injection sites in the city.

Fraser Health has repeatedly emphasized the need to establish harm 
reduction measures in Abbotsford.

The report has not been released publicly but the Royal City Record 
in New Westminster obtained some of the data.

The report also shows Abbotsford has high hepatitis C infection rates.

Abbotsford's infection rate for 2010 was 64.4 per cent versus a 
provincial rate of 54.9 and a Canadian rate of 33.7 in 2009.

The viral disease is largely spread through unsafe drug use practises 
such as the sharing of needles or crack pipes.

David Portesi, director of public health and the report's author, 
said Fraser Health is working to provide Abbotsford with data on 
injection drug use and a harm reduction program if the city's bylaw 
is repealed.

The numbers around illegal drug overdoses, deaths and hepatitis C 
rates show Abbotsford's drug use problems are comparable to other 
large cities, Portesi said.

"Abbotsford has similar drug use issues to other major metropolitan 
areas in the Fraser Health Authority and surrounding areas. That's 
why Fraser Health feels Abbotsford would be a good location for harm 
reduction services," he said.

Fraser Health already provides harm reduction services in Surrey, 
Burnaby, Mission and Chilliwack.

It is difficult to determine specific reasons for Abbotsford's higher 
overdose hospitalization and Hep C rates, but the ban on harm 
reduction services may be pushing the numbers up, Portesi said.

"Fraser Health believes the lack of harm reduction services could 
play a role [in the rates] because along with harm reduction services 
come opportunities for patient education, which can possibly reduce 
incidents of overdose."

Although New Westminster had higher rates for overdoses, deaths and 
hepatitis C than Abbotsford, it was likely its rates were "volatile" 
due to its small population, said Portesi.

"Relative to other municipalities, New West is a smaller 
jurisdiction, which can result in rates that change significantly 
with just a moderate increase in the actual number of events."

However, Abbotsford's illegal drug morbidity rates - or drug use 
rates - unlike New Westminster, have been steadily rising since 2002, 
according to Fraser Health data.

But estimating how many drug users are actually living in Abbotsford 
is difficult, said Portesi.

A "very crude estimate" of the number of injection drug users in the 
community is anywhere from 280 to 470, said the Fraser Health data.

Those numbers are likely to be very conservative, added Portesi.

"The B.C. Yukon Association of Drug War Survivors has about 450 
members, and at least half their members come from the Abbotsford 
area. And that's just the tip of the iceberg because illicit drug 
users are often unwilling to self-identify."

A drug user population count is not overly valuable because the 
number of people in that community constantly changes, he added.

"The important issue is to have services there to reduce the overall 
number and protect the health of those that actively use, and give 
them the option of accessing treatment and other social services."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom