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McMan Director corrects misquote of overdose deaths in local media report

Mar 7, 2018 | 1:49 PM

LETHBRIDGE –  McMan Youth, Family and Community Services Southwest Zone Director Shannon Hansen is clarifying a quote used in a Lethbridge publication that indicated 47 people may have died of overdoses recently.

“I did state that the number 47 was told to me,” Hansen explains,”however it wasn’t the source that I can even say is credible or accurate, because oftentimes the information is confused between overdoses and deaths. And that was, from my recollection, the statement that I had made.

“I was also asked how many people I’ve known who have been impacted…it was referred to the entire opioid crisis, not just the last couple of weeks. So, our clients or client’s family members who have passed away from overdoses, there are five clients that I know of over the course of the last year.”

McMan Youth and Family services serves about 200 clients on a regular basis. Over the last several weeks, employees have been on high alert after information was revealed that in Lethbridge alone, there had been dozens of overdoses either due to a bad batch of street drugs going around, or the addition of carfentanil to the drugs users were buying.

According to ARCHES, and local health officials from the Blood Tribe First Nation, there has officially been one death on the Blood Reserve, which was confirmed last Friday (Mar.2) by Blood Tribe Department of Health CEO Kevin Cowan. 

There may also have two overdose deaths in Lethbridge according to ARCHES Executive Director Stacey Bourque. However, she is quick to say they’re waiting for the official first quarter report on opioid overdoses and deaths from Alberta Health.

That number is echoed by Hansen. “We have clients who have lost family members very close to them because of overdoses in the last couple of weeks, she explains. “Specifically, we have one in particular death that affected more than one of our clients, significantly. And that was an overdose death.”

Hansen says it has been difficult for clients who rely on McMan Family Services over the last several weeks, because they don’t know from one day to another whether they, or someone they love will overdose or die. Hansen says it’s also taking a toll on employees who develop relationships with them.

“There’s the fear of losing people I think that’s most significant, and that’s before and during the recent events. There are some clients that we support that, honestly, to keep someone alive to the next day is a little bit of the goal. We’re happy and we celebrate that success because we don’t know that’s a guarantee in a couple of days from now.

“The reality is, with the risky behaviour, we have to face the fact that that is a reality our clients sometimes face… and with the recent changes, it’s just heightened everyone’s sense of fear of what could happen.”

She says staff are even more vigilant now and try to help people make safer choices while doing their best to reach out with more information on the current circumstances.

McMan Youth and Family Services helps its clients with a variety of services including Housing First Programs for youth and adults who are at risk of or are experiencing homelessness, FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders) programs, and a program for youth ages 16-25 who are learning how to become independent and employed. They also have a mobile outreach addiction program which works closely with ARCHES.