N.W.T. leaders, health officials look to protect youth amid ongoing drug crisis
Dene Nation to meet next week to create task force on drug crisis
The Dene National chief, N.W.T.'s chief public health officer, and organizations serving vulnerable youth say education is one piece of the puzzle to address drug-related harm in the territory.
At a Dene Nation meeting next week, leaders are looking to hatch a plan to address drug violence and overdoses, with things like Indigenous-led policing and a expert task force on drugs.
"We are beyond telling our stories. Now it's time to formalize a tangible, concrete plan," said Dene National Chief George Mackenzie.
While road-access communities are most vulnerable, communities that are fly-in only have a "very limited" RCMP presence, he said.
"We gotta talk about native policing as the way to go," he said.
Mackenzie said people with addictions often are caught up in the child and family services system.
"Our own people are drug-dealing, damaging our own people's kids. It's very delicate. But they are our own people. We have to be mindful and not be harsh to them but try to find a kind, approachable way where they will change their ways," he said.
Public health officials to monitor wastewater
Chief Public Health Officer Kami Kandola said drug dealers are getting organized, and the response to drugs must be organized too.
"It's not just a matter of a bad batch of contaminated crack that's going around," she said.
Territorial health officials say that from 2016 to 2024, there were 31 opioid-related deaths in the N.W.T. These drug deaths are no longer isolated or in clusters, but widespread in the territory and many of the victims are men who died alone and did not have naloxone.
In 2024 alone, five people died from opioids in four different N.W.T. communities.
Public health is testing wastewater in Yellowknife to detect psychoactive substances and post the data to Health Canada, said Kandola. At least one community without water-sewer asked to have testing too.
Wastewater testing can provide another source of data about drug use in a community or population and can highlight trends, according to Statistics Canada.
Kandola said cocaine and crack cocaine is the most-used substance in the territory after alcohol and cannabis, and she said youth are at particular risk as drug dealers look to build a new customer base.
Drugs are often contaminated with fentanyl, meth, benzodiazepines and even brown crack, said Kandola.
N.W.T. Public Health distributed 2,000 naloxone kits since 2023 and Kandola said youth have administered naloxone and saved their friends' lives.
Still, Kandola is focused on prevention and treatment like opioid replacement therapy, which is available in Yellowknife and virtually in other communities.
Public health officials will be visiting schools and communities over the next two years, educating young people about drug risks, and also training educators. They also provide information online about how to stay safe and find help when needed.
Prevention means supporting youth
Tammy Roberts, executive director with Home Base, an organization for youth in Yellowknife, says supporting young people who are living with addiction or homelessness is the best form of prevention. She says that can help them from becoming adults who need support.
"Keeping them talking, keeping them engaged is our best approach to keeping them alive because we definitely don't want to see any tragedy here," Roberts said.
Roberts says alcohol is the primary substance used by youth, but crack use is becoming more common.
Home Base worked with public health to add support like a monitored youth sobering space.
The organization also hired two youth outreach workers to spend five hours daily connecting with youth, building trust and connecting them to resources, like its weekly youth outpatient substance abuse treatment.
"The more people you have involved in your life, the more people you have relationships with, the better off you are and that goes the same for adults," she said.
Home Base's Line Drive Outreach ride program runs 17 hours a day, seven days a week, for anyone aged 12 and up.
Roberts said youth they serve are "quite vocal" about needing "unconditional support."
"They need somebody to be there for them, regardless of if they make good decisions, poor decisions, if they relapse. They need someone that they feel safe to share those conversations with," said Roberts.
Roberts called on people to help by not publicly shaming or threatening youth who are struggling with addiction in public. She said posting names and images online can be devastating for those targeted.
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