First Nations hardest hit by opioid crisis, northern MPP cites lack of 'political will' to solve it
Opioid deaths and hospitalization have soared across Ontario in recent years, but reports commissioned by the Chiefs of Ontario (COO) reaffirms that First Nations people have been hardest hit by the crisis.
The reports show that opioid death rates among Indigenous people jumped just over 130 per cent in 2020, while the rest of the population saw an almost 70 per cent increase.
Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare told CTV News that people are tired of studying the issue. The numbers are understood, he's said, adding that he pleaded with governments to act.
"Look where we are, a year and a half later, and how many numbers?" Hare said in an interview.
"How many numbers already of our kids gone? It's a lot. So yeah, we're 'studied out.'"
Mental health and addiction treatment centres, safe consumption sites, and housing are among the asks that have gone unanswered, Hare said.
Clean water is also a necessity in all First Nations communities, he said, which would let people have good hygiene and hydration, thereby giving them the mental focus needed to solve other social issues.
Hare wants to see policies to address the overprescribing of opioids for pain relief.
"They're too strong, people get hooked. And once they're hooked ... there's only a one-way street for them," he said.
Timmins is one of the communities that have had to 'go it alone,' according to local New Democrat MPP Gilles Bisson, which he said is saddening amidst a lack of provincial action.
He said Queens Park could make a lasting change if it had the political will, but that there's been a reluctance to take the necessary steps.
"We need to decriminalize simple possession. We need to make sure there's safe supply and clinics where they can do that supervised," Bisson said in an interview.
"We need to wrap services around the individual right away. When a person says, 'I want help,' you've got to provide help right away because they won't feel like it the next day."
The office for the associate mental health and addictions minister told CTV News it has promised the $36 million investment in culturally-appropriate care for Indigenous people announced in October is proof that the province is committed to developing an 'Indigenous-driven' strategy to address the opioid crisis.
"With this investment, we’re taking an essential step in building productive working relationships and ensuring Indigenous communities throughout the province have access to culturally appropriate mental health and additions support, when and where they need it," the associate minister's office said in an email.
Hare said people have grown tired of unfulfilled promises and election pandering, and that he would like to see active collaboration between First Nations, government, and local agencies.
The pandemic has proved how Indigenous communities and government can work to manage a crisis, he said.
"We work well together, let's keep going like that."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Golf season a summer tourism driver in Canada
Golf is a sign of spring and summer and a major driver for seasonal tourism, experts say.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Parliamentary report on Emergencies Act decision is 18 months past due — and counting
The erstwhile group of senators and MPs studying the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act over the "Freedom Convoy" was supposed to present its findings in December. December of 2022, that is.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.