Retiring Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe on Staring Death in the Face ( thetyee.ca )
After 13 years in the role, B.C.’s Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe is retiring.
Her final day in office is Feb. 18, marking 30 years in public service.
A lot has happened over the course of Lapointe’s tenure. Fentanyl arrived in B.C. in 2012. The unregulated toxic drug supply became the leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 59, killing more people than suicides, homicides, accidents and natural diseases combined. Deaths of people experiencing homelessness have also been on the rise.
While it might seem like a bleak job, Lapointe says she’s held on to the understanding that every death provides an opportunity to advance meaningful change.
To understand how Lapointe has held on to that glimmer of hope, The Tyee sat down with her to discuss the role of stigma in the toxic unregulated drug overdose crisis, the need for nuance in public messaging, how she’d like to change the treatment industry and why she’s not mad, just disappointed, with the politicization of drug use.
