I think one of the issues we really need to come together as a society in Canada is why is this occurring to the level it is and how best to deal with this situation for the best possible results.
The level of this drug use and the ramping up of it isn't a situation that is prevalent in a whole host of countries to the same degree. Every country deals with a segment of the population who have substance abuse and drug issues but what is really happening in Canada and in the USA is of unimaginable proportions.
This won't be solved by more programs such as safe injections sites or other easy going ideas, not that these are poor programs but I and a whole host of people don't get the idea that we are winning any battles here. This is getting worse across the board in every aspect.
This epidemic is having an insane level of issues for the health care industry in Canada, not just for patients but for professionals.
We have front line workers such as EMS dealing with an ever increasing level of calls for some of the same people over and over and over again. This does affect response times for others.
A close friend of my family is one of the top cats in Alberta for their ICU unit's. They are now running approx 60+ % of patients who are in ICU as a result of drug use. They are getting bombarded and the level of care and some of the backwards request are mindboggling. He details how some of these requests literally have top level Doctors, Nurses, Managers, Hospital Administrators, AHS staff of all levels and more literally spending hours and hours discussing a case of a drug addict who's been in the ICU a dozen times in the past year. There has become a "catering" aspect to their unnecessary needs. Like he says, at approx $1-1.5 million a bed a year, the budget aspect is insane + the cost of staff!
When a relative recently had heart surgery, the cardiac manager indicated they are being overrun with heart surgeries for young, otherwise healthy individuals who really don't have any business having heart surgery if it wasn't for the drug use. They feel terrible cancelling scheduled surgeries for emergency cases. As he put it "Lot's of 30 year olds are causing the cancellation of heart surgeries for 70 year olds and some end up dying waiting"
At a certain point, every single person in Alberta would be better off in all aspects if we can gather as many people who significant drug use addictions and put them in treatment facilities. Round the clock care and intense treatment of all aspects. Income supported from the government along with jobs and skill's training and treatment for when the get cleaned up and are out.
This circle of destruction isn't helping anybody and the crime aspects of the above is also mind boggling.
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