VANCOUVER, British Columbia — In 2016 more than 900 people in British Columbia died of drug overdoses, a record and an 80 percent increase from 2015. The culprit: fentanyl, an opioid painkiller 100 times more powerful than morphine. The smallest error in dosage can be fatal.
Overprescription of opioid painkillers created demand for the powerful drugs. In the early 2000s Canadians were being prescribed opioids such as oxycodone even for chronic pain. Illicit manufacturers soon began producing fentanyl pills using cheap, easily imported chemicals from China. First responders started seeing staggering numbers of overdoses.
And along with the increase in addictions came challenges in finding a bed in a recovery program, according to a report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Under British Columbia’s health care system, addicts are eligible to receive $30 Canadian ($21 U.S.) per day for treatment, which they pay to rehab programs such as one of the 19 Christian-run recovery homes.
Luke 15 House is one of those homes. Named after a chapter of the New Testament that contains parables of loss and redemption, Luke 15 gets the rest of its funding from fundraising initiatives, private donors and various local churches.
The center has space for 24 men, who often arrive straight out of jail and are encouraged to stay for at least 10 months. They go on a 12-step program that combines an Alcoholics Anonymous-type plan with Scripture study and are assigned a structured daily routine that includes daily prayer and dinners with former residents to see that a drug-free life is possible. (RNS)
Share with others: