By Beryl Matthewson, Health Convenor
I hope everyone is following the challenging directives and staying healthy as many provinces have recorded an increase in cases of the new Covid-19 variant. Many significant concerns in our hospitals have been identified, such as wages and staff shortages. Our attention has mainly been centered on these, but the pandemic has only exacerbated the opioid crisis and drug overdose fatalities in this province. Barriers to mental health care have marginalized many Canadians. Decriminalization of a safe drug supply could effectively reduce public health concerns associated with drug use, and help those in the community get the help needed for recovery. The Canadian population in this smaller world needs to consider health as a primary determinant for social prosperity.