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By Caden Fanshaw

Safe Supply

‘Suboxone saved my life’: Northern B.C. woman shares journey to recovery

Mar 22, 2023 | 4:10 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – A Northern BC First Nations woman recovering from drug addiction is sharing her story this week at the Northern Addictions forum in Prince George hoping to inspire others.

Tanis West from Houston, BC said she wants others to know they can begin a journey to recovery too. West shared her struggles with trying to go “cold turkey,” a move which ultimately led to severe seizures.

“Suboxone saved my life,” said West. “It makes me stronger each time I tell my story and I just want others to know that you can you can get better.”

West nearly became a statistic in BC’s topic drug crisis, one month the young mother was revived ten times. Family support is the main reason why the journey of recovery was one embarked upon.

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The province’s safe supply strategy began only back in March 2020, now three years later there are still some kinks to be worked out. At the Northern Addictions Forum many rural and remote First Nations called for a more holistic approach something those at the First Nations Health Authority call critical.

Nikhil Gandhi, a clinical pharmacist for FNHA and part of the ‘Four Directions Team’ said Northern BC is an area that deserves urgent attention.

“One of the major issues that we’re facing is that even people who do want to try to access this Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT) are unable to because of things like geographical barriers,” said Gandhi.