VICTORIA— Over a decade into B.C.’s toxic drug public health emergency, workers are being put in more and more at risk by the misdirected response of governments. In their address to the CUPE BC Convention, DJ Larkin, executive director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, stressed that the toxic drug epidemic is a worker’s issue.
“CUPE members are actually bearing the brunt of government inaction in the middle of the present crisis,” said Larkin. “Health and social services, municipal workers, housing and community, centre staff, education support workers, outdoor workers and library workers everywhere in between are in the front line.”
Larkin, a lawyer who has spent years advocating for systemic change to Canadian drug policies, says toxic drugs are a system-wide crisis being made worse by governments more concerned with punishment and not evidence based, compassionate solutions.
“Laws and government decisions are driving deaths, injuries, worker burn-out and overwhelm public systems, it cannot be solved with individual level and treatment-based levels alone,” said Larkin. “Stigma does political work. It helps governments dodge responsibilities. It keeps the focus on people in crisis, instead of the government decisions that helped create the crisis in the first place.”
Larkin thanked CUPE BC for its work and support to break through the stigma and push for systemic change to drug policies.
“CUPE has already shown a willingness to face this reality more honestly than many others. Unions and workers have fought hard for workplace protections that recognize substance use as something that should be met with support, not just punishment,” said Larkin. They stressed that unions are an important voice to push for change.
“Policy is a choice and through solidarity we can change it, if you would like to help talk to your members, go back to your locals, and when services are under attack, be the person who shows up at that meeting and shows your support,” they said.
