The Attitude of Prejudice Towards First Nations Peoples Regarding the Opioid Epidemic
In British Columbia, Canada, a public health emergency was declared in April 2016 following an
increasing number of opioid-related overdoses resulting in death. Since then, it is estimated that more
than 21,000 people have lost their lives due to opioid-related drug poisoning across BC. The rapid
increase of drug toxicity within street-sold drugs have made drug supply progressively more poisonous
and dangerous, thus leading to the raging opioid and fentanyl poisoning epidemic within BC.
In 2016, a report completed by the National Insititute of Health, estimated that 2861 opioid-
related deaths occurred in Canada, which is the equivalent of eight people dying each day. In that same
year of 2016, the city of Vancouver states that over 1,897 deaths have been reported, making Vancouver
the worst target for fentanyl, carfentanil, and other opioid-related overdose deaths. This is not a problem
directly associated with the peoples who use illegal or street drugs, but rather a reflection of a national
health crisis that affects people and communities across Canada, incorporating a variety of ages and
socioeconomic groups.
First Nations peoples are the most susceptible to the impact and effects regarding the overdose
crisis, as Indigenous peoples continue to be affected by systemic racism and colonization, as well as racial
prejudices that are prevalent in the healthcare system. In 2018, 193 First Nations men and women of the
Coast Salish Territory in British Columbia died of an opioid-related overdose, a 21 percent increase than
from the previous year. Compared to the non-First Nation population, 39% of First Nation women are
associated with opioid-related overdose deaths, whereas the fatal overdose rate for non-First Nation
women is 17%.
In response to the Coast Salish Territory opioid-related emergency, Dr. Bonnie Henry, the
Provincial Health Officer for British Columbia, communicated her concerns and distress towards the First
Nations peoples association with “drug use and addiction,” yet the government still holds racial
prejudices when a First Nations person presents to health authorities with an existing mental health and/or
substance use concern.
For example, in 2018, Yvonne Houssin, Métis woman reported an incident to CBC News in 2020, relating to withheld racial prejudices in the healthcare system. Yvonne Houssin presented to a hospital near Victoria, British Columbia, with an onset of symptoms relating to suspected food poisoning due to feeling “faint.” In response to the woman’s concerns, the nurse reportedly demonstrated an “aggressive” attitude, demanding to know if she drank alcohol or consumed any drugs. However, it was only after a blood test confirmed that she had no apparent levels of alcohol or drugs in her system that the hospital provided her with a bed and IV (i.e., intravenous treatment) to hydrate her, which reflects significant racial prejudice concerning relation between First Nations people and substance use. The presentation of racial prejudice within the BC healthcare system has downturned the severity of the mental health and substance use concerns in First Nations people, as it was reported that emergency room health-care staff in BC often play a “game” where they assume, amongst each other, the blood alcohol content (BAC) apparent in First Nations patients.
In relation to the opioid epidemic, racial prejudices within the health-care system and existing staff make it increasingly difficult for First Nations people to receive help or adequate care regarding mental health and substance use concerns, which is a contributing factor as to why the fatal opioid-related overdose deaths are so significant in First Nation population than in the non-First Nations population. This is a longstanding systemic problem due to Canada’s dismissive attitude towards First Nations peoples, particularly regarding their presenting race, intergenerational trauma, and ongoing effects of cultural genocide and assimilation.
Regarding assistance towards the safety of First Nations members across British Columbia, the health-care system needs to educate their existing staff and facilities about Indigenous history and the culture of the peoples, as this would mitigate the problematic presentation of prejudice-induced judgements. In particular, members of a First Nations community should be given the opportunity to allocate their input on how the health-care system should approach First Nations people. While hospitals across Canada incorporate First Nation ‘navigators’ for First Nations patients, the increasingly high levels of systemic racism make it difficult for patients to feel comfortable in requesting a navigator. The opioid-related overdose deaths are increasing due to the ignorant attitude of the current BC health-care system, as it is difficult for First Nations peoples to be heard and seen for their struggles instead of faltered by systemic racism and prejudice-related errors.
