Photo by Whitehorse Star
Health and Social Services Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee
Minister marks International Overdose Awareness Day
Yukoners stand united in their determination to end the territory’s drug overdose crisis, Health and Social Services Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee said Wednesday afternoon.
Yukoners stand united in their determination to end the territory’s drug overdose crisis, Health and Social Services Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee said Wednesday afternoon.
“August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day,” she said in a statement.
“(Wednesday) is an opportunity for the Yukon to continue to work together to prevent overdoses, support Yukoners struggling with substance use, remember those, without stigma, who have died and acknowledge the grief of family, friends, loved ones and communities left behind.
“Our territory has been overwhelmed by the loss of life due to substance use, mental health issues and the suffering that many people in our communities face every day.”
Heather Jones, the territory’s chief coroner, said Aug. 5 toxic illegal drugs have taken the lives of 17 Yukoners since Jan. 1.
She expected that number to rise after toxicological analyses were completed in connection with three more cases.
Deaths due to toxic illicit drugs represent 33 per cent of all cases investigated to date by the coroner’s office in 2022.
In 2021, a record 25 Yukoners’ lives were lost to overdoses.
“Every life lost to illicit toxic drugs in the Yukon is a preventable tragedy,” Jone said last month.
McPhee said the goal to reduce overdoses “represents a considerable challenge that requires us all to work together as local, territorial and federal governments, First Nations, community partners and Yukoners to respond immediately to public health needs and create stronger, more inclusive and healthier communities.
“We are all united by the same mission: to end the overdose crisis and reduce suffering, save lives and help Yukoners live happier and healthier.”
Never use alone, the government advises.
Phone the National Opioid Response Service at 1-888-688-6677.
That anonymous service will have someone stay on the phone with you so you can use safer.
If you’re thinking of changing or managing your opioid use, call Opioid Treatment Services at 668-2552.
Rapid Access Counselling is available to all Yukoners. Phone 456-3838 to make a counselling appointment within 72 hours.
Add your comments or reply via Twitter @whitehorsestar
In order to encourage thoughtful and responsible discussion, website comments will not be visible until a moderator approves them. Please add comments judiciously and refrain from maligning any individual or institution. Read about our user comment and privacy policies.
Your name and email address are required before your comment is posted. Otherwise, your comment will not be posted.
Comments (29)
Up 1 Down 0
Community Gal on Sep 7, 2022 at 9:16 pm
How about we have an awareness day for the children that find themselves with an addicted parent? Or the parents of a chronic substance abuser? Or their partner or family member who gets to watch someone they love self destruct? There are lots of casualties on this "High"way that are, I guess, simply invisible. Precious few resources for them. Just programs ahoy for people who don't want them and won't use them.
Up 13 Down 14
Patti Eyre on Sep 6, 2022 at 11:39 am
@bonanzajo: your thought that only stupid people do drugs is so narrow minded, I pity you, you live in two dimensions but the real world has more than that. Even Tom Petty died from fentanyl.
Up 29 Down 3
John on Sep 4, 2022 at 1:01 pm
@ Theresa
The answer to your question is simple. Why - people are in control of their own destiny. The choices a person makes are theirs and theirs alone. Holding society accountable for their inability to kick the habit, etc. is a choice the individual is responsible for. Keep playing with fire, knowing the odds of failure, well that is on the individual.
If you want to be incensed because many of us are using our resources to "aid" those that are drug addicts. Most folks are just fed up - for you, well you are just going to have to shake the tree that is enabling this behaviour or accept the reality of what is. Your choice.
The big heart is an over simplification of what you perceive of many who engage in thievery, and robbery to feed their habit. So if people want to rant and rave because they are sick and tired of propping up someone's narcissistic endeavours, I say it is their right to be vocal.
Up 8 Down 30
Teresa on Sep 4, 2022 at 6:51 am
Wow.... how is it these discussion boards frighten me about society and shake me to my core, far more than the users. I believe fully those struggling with addiction have a far bigger heart than the lot of you. Why do you get such a thrill dumping on people, I'm sure because they're such an easy target.
Up 12 Down 14
Stay In Your Lane on Sep 3, 2022 at 5:55 am
No Mad Max, I didn’t report them to the mounted police since I’ve tried to do that before with little result. Both about driving issues as well as other crimes where the police response has been less than enthusiastic to put it mildly so I don’t try to get the police to do their jobs anymore. Maybe some federal Liberal politicians who opened the floodgates to stoned driving with their marijuana loving legislation which I was against from day one can report them. So you stay in your lane ‘FFS’.
Up 14 Down 4
Juniper Jackson on Sep 2, 2022 at 4:00 pm
Patti Eyre: This was a really good post. People need to be reminded, that most people hide their addictions really well. You can't tell by looking at someone or even knowing them. We ever only know about someone what they choose to tell us, or show us.
By the time we knew we had an addict she was already deeply into it. It's not the street people spending 9 million dollars on drugs. Some addicts are what is called, a "functioning' addict. I really wish we could look at someone and see 'help me' in their eyes. Are you thinking about suicide? Are you thinking about robbing your neighbor for drug money? Are you thinking about raping that girl on the street? The list is endless.. If they would only tell us..help is there..
Up 26 Down 3
Groucho d'North on Sep 2, 2022 at 3:10 pm
International Overdose Awareness Day- golly will there be parades and poster contests to make it official?
Up 15 Down 7
Max is Mad! on Sep 2, 2022 at 12:41 pm
Really? Your first question was not related to driving while stoned? Did you report them to the RCMP? FFS!!!
It’s illegal to drive while stoned/consuming marijuana! WTF? It’s probably some sort of cultural violation to prohibit some groups of people from driving while high though?
I’m less concerned about the optics of a lazy, dumbed down, impaired society than I am about impaired driving. I’ve had a lot of stoners tell me they drive better high than others do when they’re sober. Of course, if everybody is smoking, who is sober?
For that matter, the are the prozaccers, the lithium consumers, and the sleeping pill addicts. There is also a mental health “pandemic” following on the heals of a Covid pandemic… The rise of impulse, behavioural disorders, ADHD, depression, and other mental health concerns in the context of Liberal Death Cult narratives should necessitate increased vigilance on “impaired driving”.
Good Luck and keep your eyes on the road… There may be a point system in this Mad Max post-reason and logic form of governance… Good luck out there!
Up 28 Down 6
Do the math on Sep 2, 2022 at 11:15 am
@north of 60:
Shouldn’t it be painfully obvious by the level of organized crime, prostitution, drug abuse & death that the RCMP are working hard at something other than investigation and enforcement?
Up 16 Down 4
MITCH on Sep 2, 2022 at 9:43 am
Day late and a dollar short.
Up 31 Down 6
Austin on Sep 2, 2022 at 8:43 am
@ Patti Eyre It only happens to those who do drugs. The Government says don't do drugs alone. Great advice why not say don't do drugs period. More flap flap flap from our elected Government. Spend our tax dollars wisely quit pi___ng it into the wind.
Up 29 Down 9
bonanzajoe on Sep 1, 2022 at 9:39 pm
Just another thought, If those people just held down a full time job, they wouldn't be so involved in filling their bodies with that stuff. There are too many young lazy people on welfare who just won't work. So, what else do they do with their leisure time? Alcohol and drugs. It's troubling to have our country bring so many immigrants to fill the jobs that these people should be doing. It may be too late for this present generation. So, get to work on saving the next. Or is that too much to ask elected politicians and indigenous leaders to do?
Up 24 Down 8
bonanzajoe on Sep 1, 2022 at 9:31 pm
@Josey Wales on Sep 1, 2022. I'll be long in my grave when/if that ever happens. I'm still waiting for the UN to declare "Straight Pride Month".
Up 22 Down 11
bonanzajoe on Sep 1, 2022 at 9:28 pm
@Patti Eyre on Sep 1, 2022. No it can't happen to anyone. Unlike your poor late friend, we aren't all that stupid.
Up 28 Down 7
bonanzajoe on Sep 1, 2022 at 9:24 pm
All of these "help the druggies" programs have been going on for years. So, why aren't they working? Why then has the record of deaths from overdoses been broken in just the last year. My logic tells me it's not just not working, it's encouraging people to stay on the stuff and die. Then, maybe that's the whole idea of the programs.
Up 32 Down 7
bonanzajoe on Sep 1, 2022 at 9:18 pm
"That anonymous service will have someone stay on the phone with you so you can use safer." McPhee should be absolutely ashamed of herself coming out with a statement like that. It's time she resigned.
Up 25 Down 8
bonanzajoe on Sep 1, 2022 at 9:14 pm
@"an opportunity for the Yukon to continue to work together to prevent overdoses". How about working together to stop drug use. Libs and NDP, is that within your ideological mentality?
Up 26 Down 13
Liberal Government Legalized Gateway Drug Use on Sep 1, 2022 at 5:41 pm
I went to a restaurant for breakfast this morning and just happened to arrive at the same time as a shiny new crew cab pickup pulled up. Four grown men got out along with a thick cloud of Marijuana smoke and they smoked their joints all the way up to the door of the restaurant the smell of which the rest of us in the parking lot got to “enjoy”. After everyone was seated and placed orders these guys eventually went back outside to smoke more weed before coming back in to eat. Two thoughts went through my mind, the first of which was how pitiful does your life have to be in order to have to start smoking Marijuana when you first get up in the morning. Secondly I was thinking of the Liberal government legalizing weed and saying it’s not a gateway drug, Yeah right.
Up 31 Down 6
Wilf Carter on Sep 1, 2022 at 5:36 pm
This minister messed things up at Justice, Health, Education remove her Sandy.
Up 10 Down 11
Josey Wales on Sep 1, 2022 at 5:18 pm
Gee...just returned from the “core” and was also wondering if we have a national obesity awareness day?
Reading the news, strolling through the “core” I am of the opinion that we are in the mist of an epidemic of obesity.
Imagine a health issue one can chew their way into, and do with glee, but never seem to notice their feet get smaller?
...then POOF apparently just like magic they are gone!
Up 61 Down 12
Dave on Sep 1, 2022 at 4:31 pm
I’m going to mark this day by not doing drugs just like I haven’t done drugs every other day of my entire life. I guess if every other person out there also made the same personal choice to not deliberately inhale, inject, or ingest toxic substances in the form of drugs into their body in spite of being told and warned not to and what the consequences of doing drugs were up to and including death there wouldn’t be an issue would there.
Up 59 Down 15
Josey Wales on Sep 1, 2022 at 4:19 pm
This political blowhole again...
Wow...when is PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY awareness day?
Up 29 Down 26
Patti Eyre on Sep 1, 2022 at 3:44 pm
I knew a man, a friend of mine I guess, who I never would have imagined did drugs, now before all you nice folks out there in commentation land say, must be some down on their luck salvation army goer. Hear this - he had a good job, stable life, that I could tell anyway, and he died from a drug overdose. It can happen to anyone.
Up 57 Down 8
North_of_60 on Sep 1, 2022 at 3:43 pm
The LIB\NDPgov shows absolutely no determination to end the territory’s drug overdose crisis. As long as they continue to 'reward' drug traffickers with minimal 'slap-on-the-wrist' sentences then the status quo they created will persist.
The Just-us Business treats the territory’s drug overdose crisis as a 'cash cow' with the taxpayers funding the lawyers on both sides along with the judges. If sentencing for drug trafficking was harsh enough to send those convicted outside for hard time in the Fed-Pen, then we might see some change.
It must be frustrating for the RCMP to work hard apprehending criminals and collecting evidence only to see the the courts set them free.
Up 55 Down 9
Holy F@%k on Sep 1, 2022 at 2:57 pm
Don't Do Drugs Dummie.
Up 56 Down 10
Richard Smith on Sep 1, 2022 at 2:47 pm
Tracy-Anne McPhee, Social Services Minister, just doesn't get it or care enough to change course on illicit drug policies and actions.
Since the Supervised Consumption Site (SCS) along with "Safe Supply" (free government illicit drugs) has been in operation, drug overdose deaths in the Yukon has risen dramatically.
The same pattern is repeated in most other locations in Canada.
It's time for a change of direction and leadership. No more phoney tears.
Up 41 Down 7
Myrtle the Turtle on Sep 1, 2022 at 2:41 pm
It’s not an overdose it is poisoning. These people are taking in toxic substances and are dying as a result. If somebody consumes rat poison we don’t call it an “overdose” FFS!
Don’t do drugs, don’t sell drugs… Oh, and don’t play Russian Roulette either. Don’t throw straws on the water… There is only one turtle in the world known to have snorted cocaine using a straw.
See Link:
https://www.google.ca/search?q=turtle+with+straw+in+nose&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-ca&client=safari
Apparently the turtle did not like cocaine and has since recovered. Myrtle the turtle is now on tour performing public service announcements on the use of substances, and the dumping of plastic straws into the Oceans.
Up 31 Down 4
Wilf Carter on Sep 1, 2022 at 2:20 pm
But the facts are according drug enforcement, Yukon has one of the highest drug over doses.
Up 53 Down 13
Juniper Jackson on Sep 1, 2022 at 2:03 pm
Really? I don't know anyone that is united with you, or this pathetic government.
The crisis will never end. As long as someone wants those drugs, there will be someone to sell it. There will always be someone looking to make easy money. The drug trade is very profitable. You can keep wagging that mouth, but it won't change a thing. Handing out free drugs is one way to "handle" the drug problem. Eventually, they will all die and take their "problems" with them.