Stimulants (i.e. cocaine and methamphetamine) are increasingly detected in drug toxicity (i.e. overdose) deaths in BC. Our recent analyses reveal high rates of chronic disease among people who have died of stimulant and;or opioid overdose in BC. For example, we identified high rates of heart disease and mental illness among people who experienced stimulant overdose. These analyses suggest possible opportunities for intervention across the health system in chronic disease care, to reduce overdose risk.
At the Provincial Health Services Authority, a new data platform holds health records for emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and primary care visits for all BC residents. In the context of rising stimulant use in BC, and this new data source, there is an opportunity to use these data to fill knowledge gaps on stimulant use and overdose risk in BC.
We aim to address this knowledge gap by bringing together a group of people with lived and living experience of stimulant use to form a Peer Advisory Group. The group will advise on how these data can be used to investigate the intersections of chronic health conditions and overdose risk, with attention to the specific risks faced by people who use stimulants.