Nempurrkel Sikar
Kamloops has always been known for its jaw dropping mountains and scenic hiking trails but recently, the rise in opioid addiction is reshaping the city’s identity. The issue at hand is crippling the community, affecting families, businesses, neighborhoods and putting the entire city on edge.
The story behind the rapid growth of addiction in Kamloops starts on the 31st of January 2023, when Health Canada granted the province of British Colombia a three-year exemption, under the controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The aim of this was to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of illegal substance for personal use for people over the age of 18. These illegal substances include A class and B class drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and ketamine.
Local support and addiction workers are overworked and understaffed as they struggle to keep up with the demand for assistance in addiction facilities. A statement on the Interior Health Overdose Prevention site has expressed the spike in the number of people seeking help from overdose prevention facilities. Unfortunately, these programs have waiting lists that can be months long.
“Working at Sage Health Centre has been extremely exhausting; my shifts start in the morning and ends late at night. I am constantly surrounded by addicts, some who are trying to better themselves and some who never will” said Charlotte Kemigisa, a frontline worker at Sage Health Centre.
According to CMHA Ontario it is said that “Approximately 21% of the population (Approximately 6 million people) have met the criteria for addiction in their lifetime.” Also, according to CMHA “Kamloops has one of the highest rates if youth overdose deaths in British Colombia in accordance with the opioid crisis in 2023.
“Seeing the various amount of people come and go, can be life altering. You can only hope that these people take advantage of the facilities provided because sometimes when they decide to leave, they must wait long periods of time to be reenrolled in the treatment facilities. And can end up dying from the overdoses” A continued statement expressed by Ms. Kemigisa.
Kamloops is on track for the second-deadliest year of opioid crisis, with 45 people having lost their lives in the first half of 2024. Between the month of May and June it was reported that 11 more people had lost their lives due to overdoses. The statists on Kamloops yearly overdoses are set to more than 90 people dying from overdoses by the end of the year.
Families and individuals are not the only ones feeling the deep effects of this crisis as addiction is contaminating every aspect of the economy, public safety, and social fabric. Downtown Kamloops, that was once vibrant and exciting has now become a hub for addicts. There is an increased visibility of individuals who are actively struggling with addiction in public spaces, bus stops, outside businesses, and sidewalks.
“My job description at Afro Fusion is to take payments, serve customers and to chase away individuals who do drugs close to our entry ways. Having these individuals near the restaurant makes it look bad and it’s not inviting to our customers. Our restaurant opens at 5pm and closes at 11pm, these are peek hours to visibly see zombie like individuals on the streets of downtown” a statement made by one of workers at Afro fusion restaurant, located on Victoria St.
The most concerning demographic, that is constantly challenged by drug use, is the youth in the Kamloops community. With a rise in international and high school students since 2020, there are various causes that can push the youth towards drug use. The influence of social media, peer pressure, trauma, self-esteem, and social isolation can greatly contribute to youths in the community to start drug usage.
According to CMHA Kamloops An estimated 68,000 youth between the ages of 15 and 24 meet the criteria for a substance use disorder. An interview with John Msika, a first-year international student from Zimbabwe where he stated that “Everyone has tried weed, especially because we are in Canada and I am also tempted to try it because whenever I am with my friends, they are usually all high and I feel like I am missing out on the fun.” Even though weed is not classified as an opioid, it only takes small dosage of recreational drugs to get you hooked.
The rise in drug use comes with the rise in crime rates. Unfortunately, for the city of Kamloops both rates have increased. The reason for the high crime rates around the city is because individuals are now resulting to petty crime to afford drugs. This has made walking in the streets unsafe, constant break-ins into vehicles.
A statement by Jeff Pelly, RCMP Superintendent on Castanet Kamloops, urges an establishment for a sobering center. The aim for the center would be intended for short-term, 24-hour stays, providing medical supervision and shelter for individuals who are under the influence of drugs. He continues to state that this would drastically reduce the workload on police officers, as they would reconsider arresting intoxicated individuals and prefer sending them to a sobering center.
There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, even though Kamloops is dealing with an addiction crisis, there are still facilities around the city willing to provide help. The local support systems and resources include:
· Men’s recovery program at Mustard Seed
· Interior Health adult substance use services and resources
· CMHA mental health for all
· Sage Health Center
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Even though addiction is a growing problem in the Kamloops community, residents are constantly advocating for more funding, stronger mental health support and support from government. Kamloops may be on the frontline of this battle, but it doesn’t have to fight alone.
References
https://thewrennews.ca/reporters-notebook-addiction-and-recovery-in-kamloops/
Did you take these pictures? You need to cite the source.
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What is this? “Furthermore, a story by”
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Instead of: According to CMHA Ontario it is said that “Approximately 21% of the population (Approximately 6 million people) have met the criteria for addiction in their lifetime.”
Use: According to CMHA,“Approximately 21% of the population (Approximately 6 million people) have met the criteria for addiction in their lifetime.”
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Instead of: An interview with John Msika, a first-year international student from Zimbabwe where he stated that “Everyone has tried weed, especially because we are in Canada and I am also tempted to try it because whenever I am with my friends, they are usually all high and I feel like I am missing out on the fun.”
Use: John Msika, a first-year international student from Zimbabwe, said that everyone he knows has tried weed “especially because we are in Canada and I am also tempted to try it because whenever I am with my friends, they are usually all high and I feel like I am missing out on the fun.”
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Instead of: A statement by Jeff Pelly, RCMP Superintendent on Castanet Kamloops, urges an establishment for a sobering center.
Say: Jeff Pelly, RCMP Superintendent, said to Castanet Kamloops that city needs a sobering center.
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