The NDP is doubling down on its demands for more government action on the opioid and street drug crisis.

MLA Annie Blake went after the government on Thursday during question period.

The deaths reported Thursday by the coroner’s office “were entirely preventable,” Blake told the house.

“One way to prevent drug-poisoning death is to make safe supply widely available, but we have heard from both front-line workers and individuals in Whitehorse that they have no idea where or how to access a safe supply of opioids.

“Will the minister explain why a safe supply of opioids is not automatically offered to people who need it at the Referred Care Clinic in Whitehorse?” Blake asked.

Health and Social Services Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee tried to answer the question.

“Yukon is facing an unprecedented rate of drug-toxicity deaths,” the minister noted.

“We now know from the report issued by the coroner today that we have lost nine Yukoners — possibly 10 — in the year 2022. This comes on the heels of 2021 when Yukon saw a record number of deaths.

“We recognize that drug poisoning in the Yukon is growing in scope and devastation,” McPhee added.

If she had a message, she said, it’s that “the drug supply is increasingly toxic, contaminated, and unpredictable. We are making evidence-based decisions to address the drug-poisoning crisis.

“I hope to be able to speak about our substance use health emergency and its declaration, but I can assure the member opposite and all Yukoners that we think that a cornerstone of that work is a safer supply of drugs for individuals who choose to use or are addicted to using.

“The street drug supply must be sidetracked by a safer supply,” McPhee said.

Blake fired back.

“Ten people might not seem like a lot, but if this rate of death happened in the city of Toronto, it would mean 700 people dying from preventable drug poisoning in just over a month,” she said.

“Communities have also lost friends and family members to the opioid crisis, and they don’t have equal access to treatment or supports.

“One way to close this gap is to follow the B.C. model and allow registered nurses to prescribe safe supply in communities,” Blake said.

“When will the minister allow registered nurses to prescribe safe supply in Yukon communities?”

McPhee replied, “I would say that absolutely everyone in our small community here in the territory is likely affected by an individual or a family or a tragedy that has occurred in relation to these activities.

“As a result, in January 2022, our government declared a substance use health emergency. We have money in our budget to address that.

“It must be recognized that there are a number of harm-reduction avenues that we can go down for the purposes of achieving success or progress in this area.

“One of those is safer supply, as mentioned by the member opposite,” McPhee added.

“One is additional mental health and substance use supports.”

Blake noted that the government-run shelter for the homeless on Alexander Street saw multiple deaths in January.

“In January 2022, multiple individuals died while at the Whitehorse Emergency Shelter,” she said.

“This is a government-run facility, which means the government is responsible for what happens in the shelter.

“The minister has the power to trigger a coroner’s inquest into these two deaths. Will the minister request a coroner’s inquest into the two deaths by drug poisoning that occurred at the Whitehorse Emergency Shelter?”

McPhee responded with, “I think I need to defer, in relation to that question, to the coroner and her advice about what should or should not happen as a result of any particular matter in which she is involved as primary investigator.

“Our government recognizes that the substance use health emergency has a devastating effect, as I’ve said earlier, on our families.”