As Wednesday marked B.C.sa国际传媒檚 fifth anniversary of declaring the overdose crisis a public health emergency, about 50 demonstrators stood outside the legislature to say that the provincessa国际传媒檚 action has fallen short.

Moms Stop the Harm sa国际传媒� a group of people who have lost loved ones to overdose and advocate for life-saving drug policy and support sa国际传媒� were calling on the province to decriminalize drug possession and provide widespread access to regulated safe supply across B.C..

Jennifer Howard, the groupsa国际传媒檚 program manager, said preventable overdose deaths must end.

sa国际传媒淲e are mothers, fathers, siblings, friends, front line workers and all those who deeply care that the epidemic of deaths continues in this province with no end in sight,sa国际传媒� said Howard, who lost her son Robby to an overdose. sa国际传媒淲e are here to say that enough is enough and to demand our government implement immediate measures to keep people safe.sa国际传媒�

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Earlier on Wednesday, the province announced theysa国际传媒檒l be requesting a federal exemption to decriminalize personal possession of drugs and $45 million in funding over three years to expand overdose prevention.

sa国际传媒淭hrough provincewide decriminalization, we can reduce the fear and shame that keep people silent about their drug use, and support people to reach out for help, life-saving supports and treatment,sa国际传媒� said Sheila Malcolmson, minister of mental health and addictions.

But speakers at the event scolded the government for, despite the five-year-old declaration, not treating the crisis like and emergency.

sa国际传媒淚f we truly treated this like an emergency, we wouldsa国际传媒檝e seen courage from those in power, we wouldsa国际传媒檝e had accessible and effective safe supply,sa国际传媒� said Corey Ranger, a registered nurse and Victoria Safer Initiative member. He recalled when they responded to 28 overdoses in one week, including seven in one day, last April.

sa国际传媒淲e werensa国际传媒檛 able to keep everyone alive,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淚t was around this time last year that I stood silently beside a grieving mom whose son died alone in a tent.sa国际传媒�

Ranger said he sees first-hand how safe supply isnsa国际传媒檛 accessible enough for those who need it.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 tired from grief, Isa国际传媒檓 exhausted from being ignored, I donsa国际传媒檛 want to be here and I donsa国际传媒檛 want to be here next year,sa国际传媒� he said.

Victoria Coun. Marianne Alto said the demonstratorssa国际传媒� demands will help sa国际传媒渄rug use become what it is sa国际传媒� a health issue.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淗ow many times are we going to come together with the same questions and, more importantly, the same answers,sa国际传媒� Alto said. sa国际传媒�(The province) needs to hear these stories for what they are, theysa国际传媒檙e people who are dying, who donsa国际传媒檛 have to.sa国际传媒�

Bernie Pauly, a University of Victoria nursing professor, said the more than 7,000 British Columbians that have died due to overdose since 2016 are not just numbers, but loved ones.

sa国际传媒淲hy arensa国际传媒檛 we willing to provide an effective safer supply of substances,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淲e will end the drug war.sa国际传媒�

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Leslie McBain, Moms Stop the Harmsa国际传媒檚 co-founder who lost her son to overdose, said their demands are being heard, but their calls will only get louder until the crisis is quashed.

sa国际传媒淭he government can no longer ignore the numbers of deaths, the number of our children, our loved ones who are dead because they could not find safety in the drugs they needed,sa国际传媒� said McBain.

Niki Lucassa国际传媒� son Dustin died in 2016 of a fentanyl overdose. She wants other parents to know that overdose can happen to anyone.

sa国际传媒淣ever in a million years did I think wesa国际传媒檇 still be here five years later,sa国际传媒� she said.

From 2016 to the end of this February, 7,072 British Columbians died due to overdose.

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