In Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood on a sunny Friday morning, 36-year-old TJ Felix has consumed a potent mix of fentanyl and methamphetamine, a combination known as a “speedball” on the streets. Despite the potentially lethal nature of the substances, Felix’s long history of drug use has elevated their tolerance to extreme levels, using the cocktail to avoid the severe withdrawal symptoms that accompany addiction.
Originally from the Splatsin First Nation near Shuswap Lake in B.C.’s Interior, Felix, a two-spirit artist and musician, has been battling substance abuse since childhood. Despite numerous attempts at treatment upon moving to Vancouver in 2007, it wasn’t until they had access to a safe supply of heroin through a compassion club that they found stability.
Over an extended period, Felix allowed journalists from a documentary to witness how a safe drug supply positively impacted their life. However, when their access to this supply was terminated in 2023, they resorted to fentanyl to manage withdrawal symptoms.
Health Canada’s internal reports indicate that despite recommendations to expand access to safe and regulated drugs, the government’s support for safe supply programs was reduced during the opioid overdose crisis, ultimately ending in March. This shift in policy led to the arrest of individuals running compassion clubs aimed at providing safer drug options to save lives.
The rise of fentanyl-related deaths prompted physicians across Canada to prescribe hydromorphone tablets as a safer alternative to street drugs laced with the potent opioid. However, issues arose with the diversion of prescribed drugs to the illicit market, highlighting the limitations of this approach for all individuals.
Advocates like Jordan Westfall, who has personal experience with addiction, emphasized the need for a more comprehensive approach to federal drug policy. The concept of “safe supply” gained traction, advocating for legal and regulated access to a range of drugs to mitigate overdose risks and improve safety for users.
Despite expert recommendations to expand safe supply programs to include various drugs beyond opioids, Health Canada has not implemented these suggestions. The lack of support for regulated drug supply options has left individuals like Felix vulnerable to the dangers of the unregulated street drug market.
As the debate over safe supply continues, individuals grappling with addiction face uncertain futures without legal alternatives to illicit substances. The ongoing political discourse surrounding safe drug supply remains a critical issue for those struggling with addiction and withdrawal symptoms.