The COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid overdose crisis: the effects of intersecting public crises on vulnerable populations

For the first time in history, British Columbia has been experiencing two public health emergencies simultaneously; the opioid overdose crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only are these two public health crises occurring alongside each other, they are intersecting and informing the impacts of each other, creating higher risk levels for specific social groups. Vulnerable populations, namely Indigenous communities, BIPOC (black, Indigenous, people of colour) individuals, and youth, are disproportionately negatively impacted by both the impacts of the intersecting crises and by the public health measures enacted to address them. Using Young’s (1988) Five Faces of Oppression and the concept of intersectionality, this paper utilizes an anti-oppressive lens to analyze the disproportionately high overdose death rates and COVID-19 infections and death rates among marginalized groups. Findings/themes in the literature review include the impact of the intersecting crises on the ongoing impacts of colonization — lack of resources, substandard housing, lack of access to clean water, and stigma — experienced by Indigenous communities, as well as the disproportionately high rates of mental health decline amongst youth. Social work has an important role to play in fostering de-stigmatization, continuing to advance harm reduction approaches to addiction, and advocating for social change and equity among all citizens. The role of social work in mitigating the impacts of these dual health emergencies is further examined.