“Opioid crisis.” In our city, we’ve heard that phrase so many times over so many years it barely registers anymore.
The truth is we’re way past the point of crisis.
By definition, a crisis is supposed to be a moment of decisive action. A time to seize a challenge and turn the tide. But when it comes to the scourge of toxic drugs in Sault Ste. Marie, it’s easy to feel like our crisis has become a permanent fixture.
Something we’ve come to expect — and accept.
The latest data from Ontario’s Chief Coroner only reaffirms the damage done. Last year alone, 38 people died from opioid poisoning in the Sault, the second-highest rate (by population) of any city in the province. Only Thunder Bay endured a higher rate of fatal overdoses.
Since 2018? More than 200 lives lost across Sault Ste. Marie. Many of those names now fill a memorial wall near city hall. They won’t be the last.
Though jarring on their own, the local overdose stats don’t even capture the full catastrophe. Opioids aren’t just killing our loved ones at a torrid pace. They have altered the very fabric of the community we once knew.
Our eyes don’t lie. The Sault simply isn’t the same place since opioids arrived.
A lot of SooToday readers feel the same way. Earlier this year, we posted a poll question on our local news site: “What is the most pressing issue facing the community today?” More than 5,000 people responded — and 28 per cent, more than one-quarter, chose “opioid addiction/mental health crisis” as their answer.
The only other issue that garnered as many votes was the ongoing doctor shortage (28 per cent). Other local concerns polled much lower, including the cost of living (14 per cent), housing affordability (seven per cent), and job opportunities (five per cent).
We didn’t publish that poll on a whim. It was the first of many steps in a new Village Media project we’re calling the “Community Impact Protocol.”
What is it? Simply put, we want to deploy our local journalism on the issue that matters most to you — not only to shine a light on the problem, but to explore meaningful, attainable solutions.
After tallying your votes, our next step was to gather a broad coalition of community stakeholders (advocates, health-care providers, first responders, city leaders, nonprofit organizations and educators) for an honest conversation about the challenges we face and the opportunities that exist.
Throughout that meeting, held last month at Village Media’s downtown office, we were inspired by the overwhelming turnout and impassioned discussion.
If we didn’t know it already, we do now: there is a long list of talented, dedicated people committed to turning the corner on our city’s opioid emergency. Their behind-the-scenes work often goes unnoticed or underappreciated, which is one of the things we hope to change as we ramp up this project.
Our stakeholder meeting also reinforced another indisputable fact: we are staring at an extremely complex problem with no simple fix. As much as we may think we know the answer — extra policing, harsher prison sentences, forced treatment, more willpower — there is no single solution that will suddenly reverse this crisis.
To borrow the words of Algoma Public Health, our city’s opioid emergency demands an “all-of-society approach” that goes well beyond helping people currently struggling with addiction. Any plan of action must also focus on “upstream interventions” that attack the known root causes of substance use, including early life trauma, poverty, homelessness and access to education.
Again, there is no simple fix waiting to be discovered.
As the next step in our Community Impact Protocol, SooToday journalists are now digging deep into a series of weekly articles that will help bring clarity, context and compassion to our understanding of the opioid epidemic. How did we get here? Who is responsible for the flood of fentanyl that has poisoned so many? What strategies are working in other communities? Could they be implemented here?
Depending on the article, our mission will be to explain, educate, dispel myths, highlight success stories, and explore possible solutions. If we do this well, all of us — our news team and the community — will learn as we go. And maybe some of you will be inspired enough to stand up and ask: “How can I help?”
We envision this project as something much deeper than journalism. It is a community-driven effort toward real, lasting change. As our coverage continues to take shape, we’ll be inviting readers to participate in even deeper engagement and discussion. In the meantime, please feel free to share your thoughts, suggestions and feedback ([email protected]).
Yes, we passed the point of crisis a long time ago. But that doesn’t mean it’s too late for our community to come together and try to turn the tide.
