Call for unified action in opioid crisis at UBC Okanagan debate

The event was sold out with over 700 people coming together for an evening of debate and discussion.

A wide view of a packed auditorium with attendees watching a panel discussion on stage, part of UBC Okanagan Debates. Projected logos visible on the auditorium walls.

Photo credit: Darren Hull.

Experts, advocates and allies discuss solutions as opioid deaths climb.

With overdose deaths in British Columbia at unprecedented levels, UBC Okanagan Debates convened provincial leaders, health care professionals and advocates Oct. 29 for an urgent conversation on potential solutions. The event was sold out with over 700 people coming together for an evening of debate and discussion.

In an era marked by increased polarization, misinformation and echo chambers, UBC Okanagan Debates is part of the university’s commitment to fostering critical discussions on timely and contested issues. The series invites experts to share diverse perspectives on topics that impact the lives of British Columbians.

The Opioid Crisis is among one of those issues that has polarized Canadians and brought British Columbia’s response to the crisis under the proverbial microscope.

Held at the Kelowna Community Theatre, UBC Okanagan Debates: The Opioid Crisis featured candid exchanges from five distinguished speakers, each offering insights from their professional and lived experiences on how to address this complex crisis.

Speakers from left to right: Dr. Nolan Hop Wo, Lisa Lapointe, Dr. Eugenia Oviedo-Joekes, Tashia Petke and Dr. Julian Somers. Photo credit: Darren Hull.

Addressing the root causes and the immediate needs

“In the past 15 years, I’ve lost count of the friends, neighbours and co-workers who have died from overdose,” said Tashia Petker, a clinical psychology PhD candidate at UBC Okanagan and an emerging voice in substance use and addiction treatment.

Petker emphasized the need to integrate harm reduction, safe supply, and long-term support to keep people alive and stabilize their health.

“I can work with anyone as long as they’re alive,” she added, advocating for treating addiction holistically and addressing its root causes to support people on a pathway to wellness.

Disproportionate impacts on Indigenous communities

Dr. Nolan Hop Wo, a medical officer with the First Nations Health Authority and a clinical psychiatrist, discussed the stark impact of the crisis on Indigenous people, who die from toxic drug poisonings at six times the rate of non-Indigenous British Columbians. 

“These are not just numbers; they represent our family, our friends, our youth, and our elders,” Dr. Hop Wo said.

He said ongoing systemic issues, including the legacy of colonization, exacerbate the crisis within Indigenous communities.

“Culturally safe, trauma-informed care is crucial to addressing the widening health disparities Indigenous people face,” he said, adding that Indigenous communities must be integral to creating and leading solutions.

The complexity of harm reduction and regulation

Former B.C. Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe, who served from 2011 to 2024, drew on her experience tracking overdose deaths to emphasize the need for regulatory change.

“It is the government’s responsibility to regulate substances that cause such devastating harm,” she stated, pointing out that 85 per cent of all toxic drug deaths in B.C. involve fentanyl.

“Accessible, timely, and culturally safe health care, including safe supply and secure housing, is urgently required,” Lapointe said, calling on policymakers to address the crisis as a health issue. “This is not about promoting drug use but about reducing preventable deaths.”

She added that harm reduction must be part of a wider health-based response to be fully effective.

Building a path forward through integrated care

Dr. Julian Somers, a clinical psychologist and professor at Simon Fraser University, advocated for an approach that not only reduces harm but fosters long-term recovery.

“The most powerful thing we can do is to give people more reasons to hope and connect them to meaningful relationships,” Dr. Somers shared. He described harm reduction as the start of a journey, advocating for a continuum of care that includes safe housing and social reintegration.

“Addiction treatment without social reintegration is not a sustainable solution,” he said.

Providing flexible, person-centred care

Dr. Eugenia Oviedo-Joekes, a professor at UBC’s school of population and public health in Vancouver, focused on the need for diversified treatments for opioid use disorder.

“There is no one-size-fits-all solution,” she said. “Person-centred care meets people where they are, recognizes their unique needs, and adapts to support their journey.”

Dr. Oviedo-Joekes said flexible funding is essential to address  people’s social and psychological needs,  from food security to culturally appropriate services, in order to overcome economic and logistical barriers.

A call to action for public support

The panellists’ collective call to action highlighted the need for an approach that integrates harm reduction, regulatory support and compassionate care.

The evening ended with a shared sense that the path forward will require public support for compassionate, evidence-based policies that prioritize health and humanity in B.C.’s response to the opioid crisis.

“People matter,” Lapointe said.