According to a survey, residents want different solutions to the drug crisis

The toxic drug crisis continues to be a key issue in this provincial election. A recent survey found drug use was one of the top three problems facing Vancouver residents.

CityNews Vancouver's exclusive poll found 73 per cent of respondents support injection sites but believe it's time to find another alternative solution. At the same time, more than half of respondents – 51 percent – say the websites should be closed completely because they are not working.

Dr. MJ Milloy, an assistant professor at the University of British Columbia's medical school, says the problem at public injection sites is systemic and more complex than just addiction.

“We cannot expect overdose prevention sites or safe injection sites to solve all the problems we face in urban communities,” he said.

“…our mental health system has largely failed people with substance and mental health problems, but the public health and clinical health systems clearly need to do more.”

According to Milloy, a large proportion of people who have access to safe injection sites buy their medications on the street, contributing to toxic drug poisonings and other harms.

“We have a large unregulated marketplace where substances are sold without any regulation or oversight,” he said.

“Because of the scale and scope of the crisis, we as a society need to have a dialogue about how we regulate substances.”

Milloy says we have regulated markets for tobacco, liquor, cannabis and pharmaceuticals, and we should do the same for hard drugs.

“It is long overdue that we introduce similar systems for heroin and cocaine,” he said.

“We need a system that provides care for them when they reach that point. We don’t currently have a system like this.”