Drug-related deaths in Manitoba surging, chief medical examiner's data says
'Condolences to all those families there. They were more than just numbers,' says man who lost son
WARNING: This story contains a disturbing image.
Manitoba's drug crisis is claiming more lives than many people realize, and 2023 is on pace to set a new record, new data from the province's chief medical examiner suggests.
Every spring, the medical examiner releases preliminary data that is based on toxicology reports, but subject to change after full examinations are performed.
In 2022, the year-end preliminary data listed 418 deaths — but that total has now climbed to 467 and is not yet finalized, Kathryn Braun, director of the CME's office, said in an email.
In comparison, the year-end preliminary data for 2023 indicates 445 people died last year from drug-related causes. There were 54 deaths in December alone — 10 more than the next-highest month, which was May.
The finalized numbers indicate 436 drug overdose deaths in 2021 and 372 in 2020.
The latest statistics hit hard for Joseph Fourre, whose son, Harlan, was among six people who died of fentanyl poisoning last April in The Pas.
"It's disheartening. Condolences to all those families there. They were more than just numbers — they're sons, daughters, cousins," Fourre said.
The figures are a clear indication the current methods of combating the crisis are not working, said Fourre, who has been sharing Harlan's story as a cautionary tale to prevent similar heartache and tragedy for others.
"We really need to get a proactive step on how we can change the tide on these deaths."
The "real eye-opener" after Harlan's death was that most anti-drug programs were geared toward people living with addictions, rather than focusing on recreational drug users, Fourre said.
The latter may have less experience using drugs and might think they're being safe by avoiding opioids, without realizing many drugs are laced with those substances, he said.
"So people were dying … not even prepared to deal with an opioid."
Access to treatment beds 'No. 1 concern': father
The vast majority of deaths in 2023 occurred with multiple substances being present, according to the chief medical examiner's report, which also notes alcohol is considered one of the drugs.
When Bernadette Smith was appointed as Manitoba's minister of housing, addictions and homelessness, her mandate included establishing the province's first supervised consumption site in Winnipeg.
Last month, the province said it was considering a community proposal for an Indigenous-led supervised consumption site in the downtown.
The budget, which may contain information about that, is set to be released on April 2.
For the executive director of St. Boniface Street Links, safe consumption is just one piece.
Marion Willis told CBC News she wants governments and front-line workers to come up with a comprehensive plan.
"I'm really kind of angry," Willis said. "We're all out here fighting this huge drug war with nothing but a water pistol."
She said she's horrified but not surprised by 2023's preliminary count of drug-related deaths.
A member of her organization's staff also died of an overdose over the weekend.
"It saddens me deeply," Willis said.
"It needs to stop, and we need to stop just talking about it. We need to stop reacting, and we need to come together and put together a plan."
The current approach to detox and treatment programs is no match for the drug crisis, Willis said. She wonders whether community-based recovery programs could be an alternative to institutions, and whether the sector should move toward drug stabilization programs over conventional detox.
Meanwhile, Fouree said a supervised consumption site would have done nothing to help his son, or others who don't live in Winnipeg.
He also has concerns around safe consumption sites, saying as a former addict, he used such a site elsewhere. It's where he was introduced to heroin, he said.
"That's the hub.… That's where you knew the drugs would be, and that's where you know people would be using," he said.
"So I hope, you know, [the province] is really taking that into consideration — what they're actually creating by putting up a brick and mortar [facility]."
Fouree says mobile safe injection sites, which operate out of vans or RVs, are "phenomenal" because they go to the people who need help the most.
"What we need though, is more beds [at treatment centres] to get the people off the drugs. That's the No. 1 concern," he said.
For his part, Fouree has created the "No Thanks, I'm Good" campaign to talk about the dangers of recreational drugs.
"We spoke over the last year to over 6,000 youth in about 10 different communities, going wherever we can," he said.
"[We need] to be able to talk about it, really remove the stigma around this whole area of addiction. We need to get back to that human connection. We need to start talking about this in a free way."
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With files from Information Radio and Magalie Chinchilla Chaput