VicPDCanada

Many societies around the world are asking exactly that. Dealing with addiction and drug use exclusively through the criminal justice system has had many failings. This fentanyl crisis has brought together the police with the medical community like never before and cutting edge efforts at providing opioids like heroin through legally sanctioned medical means has begun, for example, in Vancouver. These efforts will be watched closely to see if this should be expanded.

Our current approach is based on four pillars - of which enforcement is only one. The other pillars are: harm reduction, treatment and prevention. That's where our efforts are currently focused. As police, enforcement is exclusively our domain, but we partner in safe consumption sites, prevention education and with social supports through partnership initiatives like our Assertive Community Treatment teams.

In Canada, if government chose to approach it in a different way, police would respond accordingly.

Fentanyl has been around for decades and played a smaller role as a illicit opioid in the street market. However, in 2012, factors changed, including the removal of the powerful prescription drug Oxycontin which had been highly abused as a street drug. That created a vacuum and organized crime groups capitalized on the opportunity realizing they could create counterfeit Oxycontin pills with fentanyl as well as selling fentanyl as "cheap" heroin.

You're hearing about it so much because it is killing people in all walks of life in unprecedented numbers.

Thanks for the positive feedback. I'm really proud of my team and the work they do to help keep some of the most vulnerable people in our community safe.

Much of it is coming from China. The police are working with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to intercept fentanyl as it arrives. It's not been an easy task. Further we investigate the organized crime groups that operating in Canada that are initiating the importation. This is a top priority for police for drug enforcement.

Much of the support that we offer is by way of partnership. This is important both symbolically - so the public understand that we're working together - and practically, when it comes to establishing harm reduction services like safe consumption sites.

That practical work is important for people who use drugs to know that they can choose a safe consumption site without being arrested for possession at that site. Otherwise, why would they use it? This means that we need to work with the surrounding community, who are often concerned that a safe consumption site will lead to an increase in crime and disorder where they live. Our work there is in support of these efforts.

The symbolic work is also key. It's important for everyone to know that when we're not adversaries with organizations like SOLID it's because we both share a common goal - keeping people safe and alive. That's a core value that both organizations share.

The unsung heroes in much of the opioid crisis are BC Ambulance first responders. They're saving lives each and everyday too, along with the staff at safe consumption sites, and those in the community who get trained in and carry naloxone, thanks in many ways to the British Columbia Center for Disease Control who have worked tirelessly to put naloxone into the hands of everyone who needs it. Our officers also carry naloxone to respond to overdoses and exposure.

She thought I "looked handsome" but thought "I should be smiling more". It didn't seem appropriate for the subject. Because normally, I'm always smiling. Of course I am. I'm Irish. Which also explains my curly, curly hair.