GEOG 306 Assignment 2 (1)
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Assignment #2 - Pressing Issues in Canada
GEOG 306: Geography of Canada
Dr Cam Owens
Part 1
Emerging National Unity Faultline(s)
Important Terms
Xenophobia
— Dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries.
Populism
— Ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite
groups.
Alienation
— Being isolated from a group or an activity to which one should belong or in which
one should be involved.
Polarization
— Division into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs.
Faultlines
— Hypothetical dividing lines that split a group into opposing forces.
Issues, Faultlines and Competing Forces
As discussed previously, the current faultlines in Canada are Indigenous / State, French / English,
Centralist / Decentalist, and Newcomer / Oldtimer. Over the years there has been an emergence
of new prominent faultlines, this includes Rural / Urban, Xenophobes / Inclusives and Politicians
/ Opposition.
There has been an intensification of national issues in Canada, many of which arose during the
pandemic
1
. Different forms of alienation are driving factors for these issues, this includes
economic, political, and cultural alienation. Conspiracy ideologies
1
and populistic beliefs are at
an all-time high, hate is becoming a national crisis
2
. Politicians are especially feeling the wrath of
hate, holding a parliament position has turned from experiencing political disputes, to personal
abuse
1
. In addition, the trust in government institutions is at an all time low
3
which aids in the
polarization Canada is experiencing.
Causes and Contextual Factors
Rural and urban tensions have existed since the start of urbanisation. Especially in the interior
and prairie provinces, there is a rich cultural identiy related to being
Canadian
3
. These people
wish to fight for their identity and are not interested in bridging the rural urban gap. The
ideations these people hold are also tied to alienation. In some cases, these tensions have been
leading to an identity crisis.
Social media is a blessing and curse facing pressing issues in Canada. It can be a great tool for
marketing and interacting with your audience, politicians can reach a larger audience — this is
also the downfall. Former Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna,
3
Herle, D (2022)
2
Subramanian, S (2022)
1
Fish, J (2022)
has experienced online abuse first-hand. Instead of taking action, she was told to simply stay
offline to avoid the hate
4
. Committed politicians are choosing to step down from their positions
because of the abuse they are facing. In addition, social media is allowing conspiracy theories to
escalate and catch on like wildfire. Recent conspiracies have driven the convoy protest and
COVID-19 hysteria
4
. There comes a point where the harm outweighs the good.
Hate and abuse in all forms are driving forces in Xenophobes / Inclusives and Politicians /
Opposition faultlines. Immigrants and minority groups have always faced hate, especially in
countries with roots of colonisation. However, statistics show that mixed marriages between the
ages of 45 or younger is rising and there are more immigrants than Canadian-born citizens in the
workforce
5
. But this is not what the media shows, news outlets and social media push the
narrative that Canadians do not want immigrants in their country. Similarly, politicians are
experiencing an unprecedented amount of abuse. Opposing parties are no longer civil with each
other, supporters demonize their political opposition to extreme lenghts
6
. Scott Sims, an MP from
Newfoundland, was threatened to be thrown in a ditch because he supports the immigration of
Muslims
4
. Furthermore, a Mayor from Calgary has received over 65 serious threats against his
life.
Tying into conspiracies and social media, polarizing views are decreasing the faith and trust
Canadians have in government institutions. Especially since the pandemic, the trust in politicians
is very low
6
and this can leave people vulnerable to populism
5
. This is partially due to alienation,
people are isolating themselves and are not willing to tolerate alternative ideations. Alienation
has particularly negative effects in rural populations and those facing income inequalities
5
. These
people do not have the tools to look beyond the divisive media they are being presented with,
leaving them stuck with views forced upon them.
Addressing Conflicts
Addressing conspiracy theories would be a step in the right direction toward regaining the trust
of the population. Oftentimes in the media, it is best to take the high route and pay no attention to
hate. However, when lives are being threatened and protests are occurring, telling your truth
could be the safest option. This would prevent citizens from blaming populism when action is
taken.
Providing additional security to political figures and institutions is unfortunately an action that
should be taken. It is disappointing that politics cannot function without hate, politicians should
be allowed to speak their goals without being demonized. Using the example of Catherine
McKenna
4
, more should be done to prevent an influx of online hate. If we continue at this rate,
Canadian politics will only become nastier.
6
Herle, D (2022)
5
Subramanian, S (2022)
4
Fish, J (2022)
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Local media should become a reliable and useful source, as it once was. Politics is a national
affair, yet it starts at a local scale
7
. Why has there been a loss of interest in local coverage? If
people can learn and be involved from the ground up, this will create a more harmonious
population.
7
Subramanian, S (2022)
Citations
Fish, J. (2022, May 19). How did Canadian politics become so nasty? The Big Story. Retrieved
from
https://thebigstorypodcast.ca/2022/05/19/how-did-canadian-politics-become-so-nasty/
Herle, D. (2022, February 23). The Herle Burly: Pollster panel: Who are the alienated
Canadians? Apple Podcasts. Retrieved from
https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/pollster-panel-who-are-the-alienated-canadians/id1
280218816?i=1000552051134
Subramanian, S. (2022, February 8). Is Canada Broken? The Walrus. Retrieved from
https://thewalrus.ca/democracy-is-canada-broken/
Part 2
Opioid Public Health Crisis
Introduction
The opioid public health crisis is a term used to describe the growing epidemic of opioid
overdose deaths. Opioids refer to drugs such as prescription pain relievers like fentanyl or
morphine. Notably, these drugs can be addictive and all individuals risk becoming dependent on
them. The crisis is characterized by an increase in opioid-related deaths, addiction and overdose
rates, as well as increased use of prescription opioids for non-medical purposes. It caused a rise
in heroin and fentanyl use/overdoses across many cities and communities.
Over 15,000
Canadians lost their lives due to death by overdose between the years of 2016 and 2019. Drug
overdose has surpassed suicide, homicide, and car accidents as the leading cause of mortality.
Opioid abuse leads to long-term physical and mental damage, which can affect every aspect of
life from relationships to work/life performance.
Barriers
The opioid epidemic has been festering for a long time, we are facing a public health
emergency and we need to respond with urgency.
The introduction of fentanyl to the illicit drug
market has caused this opioid issue into a crisis.
It
was created in 1959 as a powerful potent pain
reliever to help those in pain, commonly found under hospital or veterinary care
. However, when
it's combined and contaminated with every street drug, it becomes the silent killer. There is no
quantity control, it just takes a few grains to turn a pain reliever into a lethal substance.
The crisis
worsened when it was discovered that fentanyl could not be stopped at the source, it is a
synthetic drug that can be manufactured anywhere. Also, the notion that suppliers have gotten
savvier, prioritizing potency above quantity
.
The opioid epidemic has become a major topic of discussion in our country's health-care
policy debate. However, it has yet to receive the attention it deserves from policymakers at all
levels of government, resulting in poor harm-reduction decisions that ultimately lead to multiple
barriers inhibiting the solution to the opioid crisis. The criminalization of illicit drug possession
is another major impediment to finding a solution to the opioid problem. Criminalizing drug
users does not deter people from using substances, rather, it costs taxpayers a lot of money. On
average, it costs $150,000 a year to incarcerate an individual
.
Criminalization does not work and
it worsens the use/overdose related deaths in this opioid crisis.
Those who have previously been
incarcerated for substance abuse may still have access to these drugs while in jail. Nonetheless,
their tolerance drops significantly, and eventually released on probation, they may use privately
and alone. This is one of the leading causes of death by overdose.
Last but not least, stigma, preconceptions, judgment, and dehumanizing languages all
contribute to the obstacles that impede this issue from being addressed; you never know what
someone is going through or has gone through in their life. The opioid crisis in Canada is a
complex problem that has many causes. The most common view is that the current opioid crisis
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began with the overprescription of opioids for pain management. Additionally, pharmaceutical
companies marketed their drugs for pain management which then spread to the illicit drug
markets, where it became a public health emergency. This perspective sees the epidemic as
primarily a medical issue, rather than an economic or social one.
A second perspective holds that
there was no single cause of the opioid crisis in Canada, but rather multiple factors contributed to
its development and spread, that being, criminalization, social status, life experiences and
childhood trauma, etc.
Solutions and Perspectives
It will require a mix of measures to address the opioid issue in Canada. To begin, the
most essential thing is to educate people on the subject, such as how to recognise overdoses,
dosages, how to correctly administer a naloxone kit, and so on. They can't recover if they're
dead. Secondly, the process of
decriminalization is key,
incarcerating individuals for simple
possession could and evidently will cause more harm than good.
In recent years, B.C. has
embraced harm reduction, including the implementation of provincial safe supply programmes.
‘Safe supply,’ refers to a legal, controlled supply of pharmaceuticals such as fentanyl that carry
mind/body altering characteristics that were previously exclusively available on the black
market.
Rather than allowing anybody access to these illegal narcotics, it is designed for people
who are already addicted to these substances, essentially to replace their street drugs with clean,
carefully administered dosages of these powerful pharmaceuticals. A third suggestion,
safe local
injection sites
, these facilities provide drug testing, correct dosages, basic medical treatment,
public health information, and even refer users to rehabilitation/support centers. Users were
shown to be 1.7 times more likely to join, stay, and recover in treatment from using the injection
sites. Not only does it have those advantages, but it also allows for less public drug consumption
because it is done indoors, a reduction in crime in the area, and the availability of aid and safety
in the event of an overdose.
The use of the app, “My Recovery Plan”
is another great way to help
those who are already in recovery; it seeks to keep people in recovery on track while also giving
treatment centers with user data to better understand their specific goals and identify areas where
programmes might be improved.
However, It's constructing a contentious "recovery-oriented"
system to deal with what the government sees as an addictions issue, rather than one caused by
an increasingly hazardous and unpredictable drug supply.
The opioid crisis was brought to the
forefront when it was revealed tha
t Alberta’s drug poisoning rate was 36 per 100,000 people in
the first half of 2021, then climbed seven percentage points, to 43, in the last six months,
matching British Columbia’s record rate in 2021
. Some individuals feel we should focus on
prevention and education, while others say concentrate on treatment and rehabilitation. While
restricting evidence-based harm reduction measures like supervised consumption places and safe
supply, the government has consistently questioned their effectiveness. Those who question it
often support abstinence-based treatment as they believe using ‘safe supply’ and local injection
sites normalized illicit drug use possibly making the crisis worse. Abstinence-based treatment
perspectives carry the premise that one must be without access to narcotics, alcohol, and other
medicines that help with drug withdrawal symptoms, complete cessation to any substance abuse.
Other views hold the idea that recovery-oriented treatment doesn't mean maximizing recovery
capital (the complete amount of resources a person has to discover and sustain recovery) and
giving people a greater chance of overcoming substance abuse.
This system is based on
traditional addiction treatment and instead helps depoliticize and individualize social problems.
Life After Death
There is an important aspect of the opioid crisis that should not be ignored: what happens
after a substance user faces death. A community is created.
Death is not the end, they mourn the
death but they fight for the living.
Majority of the time they become another added digit to the
statistic, but memorials are held allowing the chance to tell the other side of the story. Many of
these individuals are activists and advocates for drug policy change in their communities and a
lot of their families don't truly know how great these recovering drug addicts really are.
Groups
like VANDU, a community of current and past drug users who aim to better the lives of each
other by providing peer support and education
, allows for these individuals to have a voice
despite what the public opinion thinks.
Citations
Aragona, A. (2020, May 27).
The Curious Task
(No. 43) [Review of
The Curious Task
].
https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/ep-43-ben-perrin-%e2%80%94-whats-the-solution-to-the-o
pioid-crisis/
Mullens, G. (2022, May 18).
Goodbye Greg
(No. 32). Crackdown.
https://www.crackdownpod.com/
Mussett, B. (2022, May 12).
The Man Behind Alberta’s Pull Away from Harm Reduction
. The
Tyee. https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2022/05/12/Man-Behind-Pull-Away-Harm-Reduction-Alberta/
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