A BC First Nation declared a formal state of emergency in response to the “unrelenting impact of drugs and alcohol” on its community..The Ehattesaht First Nation, located amid vast wilderness on the coast of Vancouver Island northwest of Zeballos, said the problem is particularly impacting children, noting six young people in the community died as a result of drug overdose in the past few months alone..“This is one of the hardest things we have done as a nation,” said Ehattesaht Chief Simon John in an emailed statement..“Our people are continually let down and we have reached the end of our ability to cope with this problem.".John says the nation’s isolated location along with an influx of highly addictive drugs resulted in a crippling impact.. FN .“We're treading water, exhausted and can’t see the shore anymore. I know there are good words from government, but we are still being handed from one ministry or department to another,” he added..As per John’s statement, nearly a quarter of the nation’s population is addicted to a substance, on the street, or is a youth in care..“Every day I sit with families heartbroken with worry, and it’s unacceptable,” he said..Ehattesaht’s council says it's been trying to develop a comprehensive plan for the past few months with little success, and John says he’ll get a call or letter every few weeks regarding land use issues and other government priorities, but nothing in relation to social services..“We are losing our young people. Our state of emergency calls on government to help us change that,” John added..Ehattesaht is asking the province and Canada to be flexible in order to meet the needs of small, isolated communities, particularly focusing on outreach to the vulnerable in order to “stabilize the crisis” while services and facilities are created..“We need help. I can’t say it any other way,” said John..Now the leading cause of unnatural death in the province, the overdose crisis was declared a public health emergency in BC in 2016, and since then more than 11,000 British Columbians have died as a result of illicit drugs..Due to a new exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, British Columbians can now carry up to 2.5 grams of opioids, meth, cocaine, and more..Anyone caught selling or trafficking drugs in BC is still subject to criminal penalties.
