B.C.鈥檚 chief coroner Lisa Lapointe says scare tacticts are not effective when it comes to combating the overdose crisis, following the launch of a 鈥渧ery visual鈥� fentanyl prevention program by a B.C. funeral chain.
On Thursday, Metro-Vancouver-based Alternatives Funeral and Cremation Services kicked off the campaign, with owner Tyrel Burton described as using 鈥減owerful, perhaps even controversial, visual aids鈥� to talk about the dangers of fentanyl.
In addition to a 45-minute video 鈥� which the funeral chain said would include members of the BC Coroners, first responders and parents effected by the crisis, the campaign also includes a poster of grieving family members surrounding a coffin. Underneath the photo, a banner reads: 鈥淲ill fentanyl be the reason for your next family get-together?鈥�
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In a written statement on the B.C. government鈥檚 website, Lapointe said that while public education and awareness is important, 鈥渢he BC Coroners Service does not endorse, and will not be participating in, fear-based initiatives.鈥�
鈥淓vidence suggests that the reasons for drug use are complex and multifaceted, and programs focused on scaring people from using drugs, are not effective in saving lives,鈥� she said.
鈥淎dditionally, they tend to increase the stigma surrounding drug use and actually discourage people from seeking help 鈥� an obsolete approach that has led to the loss of countless lives.鈥�
Lapointe also urges caution and strategy when awareness campaigns rely on image use, and points to research from several academic studies that suggest mass media campaigns and public service announcements showed no evidence of effectiveness for substance use prevention.
鈥淚n the United States, the 鈥楯ust Say No鈥� and D.A.R.E. campaigns produced poor results,鈥� Lapointe said, and that a 2008 follow-up study on the $1-billion campaign found it had no positive effects on youth and may have prompted some to actually experiment with substance use.
鈥淭he experiences and life situations of people who use drugs, as well as the physiological changes they experience, means they might not be ready or able to engage with the overdose prevention strategies suggested in the some of the ads that currently exist,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e need to be aware of peoples鈥� realities and be realistic about what change they are capable of for the stage they are at in their lives. In the long run, compassion and support, including prescribed medical treatment where appropriate, will be much more effective in turning this crisis around than fear and shame.鈥�
@ashwadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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