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Over 2,200 people died in B.C. in 2021 due to
illicit-drug overdoses, coroner reports
26% increase in fatalities over 2020; about 7 deaths per day recorded
in November and December
Bridgette Watson · CBC News ·
Posted: Feb 09, 2022 9:42 AM PT |
"I am so sorry for your loss."
The voice of British Columbia's Chief Coroner Lisa LaPointe was filled with emotion Wednesday morning as she expressed her condolences to the loved ones of the 2,224 people who died due to suspected illicit-drug overdoses in the province last year.
It is the deadliest year ever recorded, representing a 26 per cent increase over 2020's death toll of 1,765.
The latest numbers, released today by the B.C. Coroners Service, show that last year, about six people were dying daily — and those numbers spiked in the last two months of the year.
In November and December, there were 210 and 215 suspected illicit-drug toxicity deaths, respectively, according to the coroner — two of the largest monthly numbers ever recorded, and equal to about seven deaths per day.
"The suffering that is happening in our province is sometimes unbearable," said LaPointe, who called on policy makers to do more.
Advocates, academics, health experts and LaPointe herself have called for a safe supply of drugs to reduce deaths. LaPointe warned drug users Wednesday the supply on the streets has never before been this toxic.
Fentanyl was detected in 83 per cent of deaths in 2021. Carfentanil, a stronger analogue of fentanyl, was found in 187 deaths.
LaPointe also flagged the increasing presence of benzodiazepines, which are typically prescribed as a sedative. They are particularly dangerous when paired with an opioid-like fentanyl because the sedation increases the risk of an overdose, according to Health Canada.
B.C. has applied to the federal government to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use, in an effort to reduce and prevent future drug poisoning deaths.
LaPointe called for the federal government to grant that exemption now. She also called for greater access to treatment and recovery.
"People are dying on waiting lists," she said.
In 2021, 71 per cent of those dying were aged 30 to 59, and the vast majority were male.
Nel Wieman, deputy chief medical officer with the First Nations Health Authority, said Indigenous people are suffering disproportionately in the overdose crisis.
According to Weiman, Indigenous people are dying from illicit drug overdoses at five times the rate of non-Indigenous people in British Columbia.
'Where is the apology?'
Perry Kendall, B.C.'s former provincial health officer, declared a public health emergency on April 14, 2016, due to a rising number of drug deaths.
Before the declaration, Kendall said, British Columbians outside of Vancouver didn't have much access to supervised consumption sites and other services to manage addictions.
Still, Kendall said, the province has a long way to go when it comes to fighting its overdose crisis. Tackling the supply chain is an essential element, he says.
Guy Felicella, a peer clinical advisor with Vancouver Coastal Health, says decades of failed policy at all levels of government is largely to blame for the death toll.
"Where is the apology?" he asked aloud at Wednesday's press conference. "Their failure is represented by more than 2,200 deaths last year."
Provincial officials respond
In response to the coroner's report, the B.C. government released a joint statement from Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Sheila Malcolmson.
"We know one of the most important ways to keep people alive in this crisis is to ensure a safer supply to replace toxic illicit drugs and the expansion of this life-saving program is now underway across our province," said the statement.
Malcolmson spoke publicly Wednesday afternoon, saying the latest report represents an unspeakable, and unacceptable loss.
She said the province has made "historic" investments and systemic changes to help, including authorizing nurses to prescribe safe alternatives to toxic street drugs and financing hundreds of treatment beds.
Malcolmson also noted the increase in safe consumption sites under the current NDP government, growing from one in 2016 to 39 now — 13 of which also have safe inhalation sites.
The minister also acknowledged it hasn't been enough.
"We are swimming against a rising tide of need," said Malcolmson.
Like LaPointe, she also spoke directly to drug users, reminding them not to use alone. The Lifeguard App, she said, is one tool people can use to keep themselves safer.
The free app serves as a digital check-in, requiring drug users to respond at certain time intervals in order to show they are OK. If 75 seconds pass with no user response, the app uses a text-to-voice call to alert 911 dispatchers to a potential overdose.
"Using alone often means dying alone," warned Malcolmson.
B.C. Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau said the B.C. NDP government is not doing enough.
"We urgently need low-barrier safe supply that does not require a diagnosis, daily lineups, or finding a sympathetic doctor," she said in a statement.
B.C. politicians returned to the legislature yesterday. In her statement, Furstenau called for the urgent convening of an all-party committee to create immediate, stabilizing solutions to the toxic drug crisis.
Maine Doctor Ordered to Undergo Psych Evaluation
for Prescribing Ivermectin, Hydroxychloroquine
By Alice Giordano
February 8, 2022
Dr. Meryl Nass was hailed a hero by veterans for helping them expose the connection between the military’s mandatory anthrax vaccine and the serious illnesses they were experiencing.
The 70-year old Maine internist has given Congressional testimonies in four states on vaccine efficacies, deciphered scientific studies for courts, and served as an international national consultant on biological warfare and pandemics for more than three decades.
Last month, the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine suspended Nass’s license and set a string of conditions for her to meet in order for her to get her license back, including undergoing a psychiatric evaluation, releasing a list of every patient she has seen in the past 6 months, and answering more than 25 questions about her medical beliefs, even asking her how she advertises her practices.
Nass, who has been in practice for 41 years, called her suspension “a tyrannical witch hunt.”
“The whole purpose of suspending my license was to scare doctors around the country not to go against the government’s narrative that the COVID vaccine and mask mandates are good,” Nass told The Epoch Times.
Dr. Meryl Nass (Courtest Meryl Nass)
Members of the state license board did not return numerous phone calls from The Epoch Times for comment about Nass’s case.
Nass joins doctors and physician assistants in at least 10 states including Kansas, Florida, Hawaii, Washington, Texas, and Arkansas who have had their license suspended or found themselves under investigation by their state’s medical license board.
According to the state’s complaint, the Maine board’s harsh scrutiny of Nass stems specifically from three legal prescriptions she wrote for ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
The patients didn’t complain about the prescription. All recovered from the virus. One complaint came from a Twitter user, another from a hospital doctor, and a third from a midwife associated with the same hospital. The midwife complained about Nass’s prescription of hydroxychloroquine to a pregnant woman.
The board also accused Nass of spreading “misinformation” about the pandemic by way of her personal blog, writing that she posed a “danger to the public.”
Nass certainly does not hold back on her blog. In announcing she would livestream the CDC’s Feb. 4 ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunizations Practices) hearing, she wrote “the same cast of characters who lie, cheat and befuddle us with the poorest quality federal science ever invented, will be back tomorrow. Don’t miss their weasel words. Watch how they try to turn myocarditis into the mildest malady known to man.”
She added, “Watch how the CDC turns those who have taken the Oath of Hippocrates into robotic Hypocrites who merely want to transform your children into SpikeVax factories.”
According to documents obtained by The Epoch Times, the Maine board originally gave Nass until Feb. 1 to undergo its directive that she undergo a neuropsychological evaluation, which was to be conducted by a psychologist of the board’s choice and paid for by Nass.
“Failure of Dr. Nass to undergo the evaluation as directed constitutes an admission of the allegations against her,” the board wrote in its order.
Nass told The Epoch Times that she has yet to undergo the ordered evaluation or complete any of the other conditions set by the Maine board.
She emphasized that prescribing Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine is not against the law, but the state said it is unethical.
In a joint statement issued last April, The Maine licensing board along with the state Board of Osteopathic Licensure warned that prescribing alternative drugs to prevent or treat COVID-19 “may lead to stockpiling of medication, inappropriate use, and potential drug shortages for patients with a legitimate need” for the medication. They drew the conclusion that “absent acute or emergency circumstances,” prescribing the drugs “is considered unethical and unprofessional conduct” and that “it may also violate applicable Board rules.”
“These are made up policies from nowhere,” Nass told The Epoch Times, “they should be wake up calls to Americans—from local towns to state boards—the government is using them to replace the law and the Constitution.”
Nass said she fears her days as a doctor in Maine are numbered and that she suspects the board’s intentions may be to make sure she can’t get a job as a doctor anywhere else.
Nass told the Epoch Times on Tuesday that she just learned the Maine licensing board has already submitted her name to National Practitioner Database, the Laurie-list version for discredited doctors.
Nass, however, is still a hero at least to some in the northern reaches of Maine where she ran her private practice.
Daniel Lorey, a recently retired hospital clinical social worker who worked closely for many years with Nass at MDI Hospital, recently wrote a letter to the editor published by the Bangor Daily News in which he called Nass an “impeccable MD” with clinical skills “second to none.”
Lorey said Nass prescribed him “life-saving medication” to help him combat COVID-19 last October.
“I am quite convinced that her early interventions and timely prescriptions saved my life and limited my hospitalization to a brief two-hour emergency room visit,” Lorey wrote.
I have to wonder if Big Pharma is putting pressure on CDC and state medical boards to stop the use of Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine in order to protect their experimental vaccines? The thing is, if they can be proven to actually work, then there would be no need for experimental vaccines, they would have to go through formal clinical trials. Big Pharma would prefer to avoid that and go straight to the profit stage.
65 years on, the battle for justice for thalidomide survivors continues
Thalidomide’s dark legacy dates back to 1957, when it was first marketed.
RT speaks to survivors determined to bring its maker to justice
Chris Sweeney is an author and columnist who has written for newspapers such as The Times, Daily Express, The Sun and the Daily Record, along with several international-selling magazines. Follow him on Twitter @Writes_Sweeney
65 years on, the battle for justice for thalidomide survivors continues
© Getty Images / Bettmann / Contributor
“Look what happened last time I took a tablet.”
Those devastating words broke the heart of Trish Jackson, as her 94-year-old mother steadfastly refused to take medication in her nursing home. Now an artist, Jackson from Queensland, Australia is one of 3,000 global survivors of the drug thalidomide.
Sometimes sold under the brand name Distaval, it was marketed between 1957 and 1961 as a cure for pregnancy morning sickness and a non-addictive sleeping tablet, and was claimed to be safe for all. Sadly, that wasn’t the case, and it was found to cause significant birth defects.
Claimed to be safe for all - trust the science - Big Pharma
Jackson’s mother, Margaret, didn’t know she was pregnant when she went to a doctor complaining of migraines. Jackson, 59, said, “He gave mum an injection and threw a packet of Distaval across the table and said ‘Here, take this, it might help with the vomiting.’ His last words were, ‘at least they won’t hurt you.’
Her mother took one tablet, but returned soon after.
Jackson continued, “She realised she was pregnant after the news broke about thalidomide. She went back to the doctor only to find he had destroyed all her medical records. He absolutely denied mum was ever a patient of his.”
Astonishing!
Fast forward nine months and Jackson was born with no arms, with her hands, which have three fingers, joined to her shoulders. She said, “I was whisked away and mum didn’t see me for three days, as the doctors decided I was too grossly deformed for her to love me. The doctors said to mum: ‘The kindest thing you can do for Trish is take her home and smother her.’”
At the same time, something similar was unfolding in Sussex, England. Mikey Argy’s mother took the drug to help her sleep in December 1961, having been given it by a doctor. Argy, also 59, said, “The drug had come off the market in November, but it wasn’t publicised until May 1962. They [her parents] went to the pharmacy to get more medication and they said, ‘It’s been taken off the shelves, it’s dangerous.’ My mum knew something was wrong, but everyone said, ‘Don’t be so ridiculous, it’s a one in a million chance.’” After being born, Argy was also taken away due to her half-length arms and club hands with four fingers.
Other tragic stories abound. Many pregnancies were terminated by the drug, and others who were born didn’t make it to puberty. Estimates suggest around 100,000 thalidomide babies were born globally.
Today, there is frustration and anger that German manufacturer Grünenthal has stonewalled attempts by the survivors to get justice. “That is the seething, silent rage that drives many of us completely crazy. There is a rage that comes out of nowhere from many of our people. It’s the unadmitted guilt of companies and the crimes committed against us,” said Argy.
Grünenthal does acknowledge its role in the thalidomide story and has contributed to a charitable foundation for victims, as well as agreeing an out of court settlement with affected families in Germany in 1970. But, crucially, it has never admitted liability. RT requested to speak to the company, but at the time of publication it had not responded.
In 2012, the company’s chief executive Harald Stock addressed the issue at a memorial, stating “I would like to take the opportunity at this moment of remembrance today to express our sincere regrets about the consequences of thalidomide and our deep sympathy for all those affected.” But no compensation was offered and many victims were outraged at what they viewed as a hollow gesture.
Long and arduous campaigning has delivered some compensation from other sources,
In the UK, the drug was distributed by Distillers, who in 1973 paid £20 million into a trust.
Argy said, “It sounded like a lot of money but it wasn’t. By the time we got to the 90s, and Distillers had been bought by Guinness, people with no arms were getting somewhere around £12,000 a year to live on, and it was taxed.”
After a series of takeovers, Diageo absorbed what had been Distillers and paid out more money.
In 2010, the British government published a 'statement of regret’ and pledged £20 million, thanks to pressure from Argy and fellow campaigners, Guy Tweedy and Nick Dobrik, backed by newspaper editor Sir Harold Evans.
“It took the three of us walking in face to face with MPs to convince them why they needed to support us. We had over 250 MPs supporting us and we got what we call the Health Grant,” said Argy, who was awarded an MBE.
“That begun to change everything all over the world for everyone. Once one government issued a statement of regret, that was a massive thing to hear, backed up by hard cash… It sent messages around the world.”
Progress hasn’t been as swift in Australia.
Jackson can access the Health Care Assistance Fund (HCAF), but has to submit receipts and claim money back. In the UK, money is given to individuals who are allowed to judge their own needs. One example is specially made clothing. Argy said, “I go through the knees in my jeans in a couple of months as I’m always kneeling on the floor. We trash our clothing – we take things off with our mouths.”
While Jackson is happy to finally have access to some compensation, many of her compatriots have been excluded. She explained, “There is a lot of people who were unrecognised and never had any help, as you can’t prove you are thalidomide – there are no medical tests.
That’s when we started going after the Australian government and finally they stepped up and are rolling out a package for us. It’s been life changing. They could have made the whole process a lot simpler, but they didn’t.”
There is also a big issue around understanding, Jackson was given government assistance with her bathroom and offered a set of handrails.
The oblivious civil servant was shocked when she asked, “Do the arms actually come with the handrails? As I’ve got no arms.” Other issues arise with disability benefits, as Argy explained how the British system asks if you can walk 20 metres unaided. She said, “If you can, they don’t care if you can’t do it with shopping.”
Driving is also problematic, as Argy can’t press buttons due to her club hand, so needs the electrics adapted. However, there are only a small number of companies who can cater for thalidomide survivors. She has been waiting for over a month for an appointment just to get a consultation about adapting her new car.
She is in a better position than Jackson, though, who can’t drive, and recalled, “When I went to get my learning permits, the police looked at me and said: ‘People like you don’t drive.’ That was the end of it. No matter how many stations my dad went to, they just said ‘no.’”
In everyday life, a lack of applicable aids places a heavy toll on their bodies. Jackson admits her hips are wrecked as she does everything with her feet, even brushing her teeth by standing on one foot and bending the other to her mouth.
Argy has a similar issue with her neck. She explained, “I find myself contorting my body into all sorts of places and doing far more than my physical body can actually manage.”
She underwent surgery, but says doctors and surgeons often don’t appreciate their needs, “Because they don’t know how our structure is, they didn’t notice you can’t push my shoulders back. They pushed them back and wrecked some of the nerves. I woke up with no use of my hands and no use of my right arm, and that went on for five or six months, I had to relearn every single thing you do with your hands. It was desperately, deeply difficult.”
A far darker issue is the guilt felt by their mothers. The effects of thalidomide placed a huge toll on them mentally and physically.
Jackson admits that she didn’t use the toilet alone until the age of 19. She explained, “I hated my school, as it was full of all these disabled kids and in my eyes, I wasn’t disabled. I begged my mum to get me into a normal school, so she door-knocked every school in the area and only one would take me, which was a private school, so mum had to work to pay for it. She would drive up in her lunch hour to take me to the toilet as there was no one else to take me, right up to grade 12, which was extremely embarrassing. All I had was mum and dad, they did everything for me.”
Despite her daughter being eternally grateful for her selfless love, Jackson’s mother has never come to terms with what happened. With tears in her eyes she said, “It’s been really, really hard to watch mum live with so much guilt – no matter how many times I tell her ‘I don’t blame you, it’s not your fault, it doesn’t matter.’ She will have that absolute guilt until she takes her last breath.
It affected dad, too, as he grew up watching me struggle. It affected the whole family, it’s like a ripple that goes right through. My brother and sister missed out on opportunities as I was in hospital.”
Discussing her mother is also the only time Argy shows a flicker of emotion, but she composes herself, mindful that she may read or hear her words. “It destroyed my mother. I’m not quite sure how she managed to stay alive actually. She left after a few years and I always lived with my father, big brother and sister. She has never said she feels guilty. We’ve never had that discussion.”
Her father died when she was a teenager, and feelings run so raw in the family that one of Argy’s siblings attaches blame to her for the disharmony and breakdown of their parents’ marriage.
Even now she avoids certain topics with her mother. “We don’t really talk about it. I tell her about the campaign and she is very pleased, but she has never said, ‘I wish I hadn’t taken the drug.’ I wonder how much I would have loved to hear that. It’s a tough one. I wasn’t protected once my father died – he protected me, but I wasn’t protected after that by anybody in the world at all, until I got my children.”
While strides have been made by survivors, including ongoing legal action in Ireland by campaigners, the global community is far from done in its search for justice. The survivors have Grünenthal in their sights and, thanks to the internet, can easily band together. This is in stark contrast to their earlier years – Jackson, for example, hadn’t met any survivors until she was 25. Now they are all on the same page and want to make sure they end things and get justice for themselves, their parents, and families.
Argy explained how difficult this is. “You can’t sue Grünenthal for thalidomide in Germany, you can’t sue them outside the country – they are protected by the federal government. They were never found guilty of criminal negligence; they were being sued by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia but the federal government intervened and none of the evidence was heard.
Because of that no thalidomider in the world could prove criminal negligence against anybody. So, none of us received the appropriate compensation.”
It’s inspiring to see both women talk with passion, but also a form of comradeship. They have been outsiders all their lives, but gradually have found a network of support. As Jackson pointed out, “We’re the forgotten ones.”
What would constitute justice? Looking straight into her webcam, Argy loses her smiley disposition for a second and offers a view of the original Grünenthal executives many would struggle to disagree with. “They should go to prison for it, and the people who’ve taken over from the people who did it should go to prison – because they’ve continued denying it.”
Big Pharma doesn't go to prison, unless you are as absurdly arrogant as Martin Shkreli.
