Overdose crisis resolution to be brought before council committee
By Tim Kalinowski on May 25, 2021.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDtkalinowski@lethbridgeherald.com The Community Safety Standing Policy Committee of city council will be considering a resolution brought forward by national harm reduction advocacy group Moms Stop The Harm during Wednesday’s public meeting.In broad strokes the resolution asks for city council’s support in advocating to the federal government that a state of national emergency be declared around the opioid overdose crisis, for the federal government to start providing a safe supply of narcotics to those addicted to drugs, and for the eventual decriminalization of narcotics for personal use in Canada.
“We sent this out to municipalities all across Canada, and it’s a resolution we are asking the City to write to the federal government,” says Lori Hatfield of Moms Stop The Harm Lethbridge.
“As of May 17, thirty-seven municipalities have passed a part of our resolution calling for a federal-provincial overdose plan that includes consideration of decriminalization and legal regulation. And 13 municipalities have passed part of Moms Stop The Harm’s resolution or taken other actions. And four municipal bodies have passed their own resolution.
“We do have municipalities coming on board with this resolution and we’re hoping the City of Lethbridge gives it full consideration as well,” she says.
Hatfield says building local support of these initiatives is key to pressuring the federal government to take action and provide the necessary funding to address the national drug crisis.
“We know that if enough municipalities make this an issue and bring it forward federally then it has a more likely chance of being heard,” she confirms. “It is (mainly) about declaring a public health emergency because funding is handled differently if it is declared a public health emergency. And it is about having a safe supply and also about decriminalization. And it is about looking at how other countries have evidence-based programs they have done that have proven to be successful. Because the bottom-line is what we are doing is not working, and nobody can dispute that.”
Hatfield acknowledges the local debates which have been raging the past two years within the city surrounding harm reduction, the SCS, and the general lack of comprehensive supports in Lethbridge for those dealing with addictions.
“It has been made into a political matter, and it really isn’t,” she states. “It is a public health issue. If the communities are so against safe consumption sites, providing safe supply would take away that need, because people wouldn’t be using a toxic drug supply that is out there on the street.”
Hatfield says Moms Stop The Harm has submitted the exact same resolution to many municipalities, but the organization does not feel the resolution has to be adopted verbatim if the Community Safety Standing Policy Committee would like to adopt some parts, for example support for declaration of a national health emergency, and not others.
“It’s not written in stone,” she says. “They can tailor it to what they feel comfortable (supporting).”
The Community Safety Standing Policy Committee meets on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.
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