Why crack and crystal meth hit harder: What Nunavimmiut need to know
Smoked drugs reach the bloodstream faster, increasing addiction, overdose and infection risks: health experts
The Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services has launched a three-month awareness campaign to inform Nunavimmiut about the health risks of crack cocaine and crystal meth, and the resources available for those seeking help. (File photo by Cedric Gallant)
Faced with the spread of crack cocaine and crystal meth into Nunavik communities, the region’s health board wants to educate people on the risks — and let them know help is available.
Health experts warn that drugs like those, which are smoked, cause faster addiction cycles and present a greater overdose risk than other substances that for years have been found in Nunavik.
Until about two years ago, crack cocaine was nearly absent in the region — now it can be found in all communities. Crystal methamphetamine started circulating this year and is present in only some communities, the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services said in a news release Dec. 1.
A public meeting organized last week by Kuujjuaq village council attracted about 30 people. At the meeting, Sgt. Yanik Hardy said the Nunavik Police Service had arrested six people the week before on drug-trafficking charges.
The health board launched a three-month social media campaign on Nov. 24 to inform Nunavimmiut about the way these drugs affect their health.
What makes these drugs more addictive?
Crack cocaine is an impure form of cocaine that’s usually smoked, rather than snorted like ordinary cocaine. Smoking it makes it reach the lungs and bloodstream very quickly and in large amounts.
“You will get a very quick feeling. And the feeling will also leave you very quickly, which will trigger a withdrawal,” said Simon Riendeau, a public health doctor with the Nunavik board of health.
“You will be tempted to take another hit to cut the withdrawal.”
Crystal meth is also highly addictive because smoking or injecting it delivers a quick, intense rush and it stays in the person’s system for much longer than other stimulants like cocaine.
Both substances increase the risk of addiction and overdose, said Nicolas Hamel, an infectious diseases adviser with the health board.
How can these drugs lead to infectious diseases?
Sharing pipes or injection needles with a person who has hepatitis C or HIV can transmit these infections, Hamel said.
Hepatitis C is a bloodborne virus transmitted primarily through blood-to-blood contact. HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, is spread through contact with infected bodily fluids, including semen or blood.
Hamel said smoking drugs can cause sores or burns on the lips and mouth. If the sores bleed, infected blood can get onto pipes and possibly transmit the infection to another person.
Tuberculosis is another infection that can be transmitted through drug use, Hamel said. So far this year, Nunavik has reported 106 cases of TB — its highest total ever.
“When you’re in a shed smoking crack with someone and you’re coughing, that’s a way you can transmit that infection,” he said.
What resources are available?
One of the main reasons the health board launched its campaign is to break what it sees as a silence around substance use and offer resources to people who need help.
“Anyone that is struggling with substance use, that is struggling with addiction, what we want to tell them is you’re not alone,” Hamel said.
For people experiencing acute withdrawal — the period immediately after an addicted person stops using drugs — medical treatments are available to help manage symptoms safely, Riendeau said.
There are also counselling and support programs available on the health board website.
The campaign will be shared across social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram through to February.
I don’t want to think or say it but this has become much more visible when the non-Inuit population became larger quickly. I wish there can be dogs in entry point including cargo locations to and from southern and major hubs and including every airport in Nunavut.
Enough said!
News flash. It’s inuit AND non inuit who are getting it in the south. Shipping it up. Selling it. Stuff like this creates anti non inuit sentiment in the communities. Lets work together to rid the communities of this poison. Contact your local police detatchment and provide information. It can be confidential.
Excluding those that are half or quarter-Inuit , the number of non-inuit in nunavut has steadily declined since 1999, just check the Census tracts. Not sure where youre basing you info from but it is incorrect.
Psilocybin treatments are known to cure addictions. It helps get you back on the path of wellness.🍄❤️🩹
Aitaa… but Nunavut too
Legalizing marijuana must have put a few drug dealers out of work.
Looks like they have come up with an industry revitalization and diversification plan and are successfully implemented this across Inuit Nunangat.
If it were not for the fact that they deal in such evil substances, their business acumen might almost be considered admirable.
These things do not happen in isolation. It is not a random occurrence that we are seeing so much hard drugs in our communities now.
It is how the illegal drug industry has pivoted to keep making money off of our misery.
At least you guys in Nunavik are talking about this with your leadership, here in Nunavut it’s a secret with our leadership, we don’t talk about it with our elected officials and they don’t seem to want to deal with it at all.
Yet it only keeps getting worse, where is our GN on this?
I agree with having a police dog going to all the Communities and keep the dog in Nunavik and Nunavut 24 7, and have it work daily. That would be the only way the higher ups from south like Montreal get caught, and the hard drugs would calm down from showing up.
There should also be more under cover waiting in the Airports even if they cannot arrest unless with a search warrant, because I am sure they will be suspicious if they know the people that look like a big dealer.
Its getting just as bad in Nunavut thanks to the Gov’t screwing up the legalization, and BC shipping crack.. how you ask? well they most likely took advice from the Southern owned stores Nordern and Koop and just jacked up the prices to meet 50% margin just like the stores and drove everyone and there dogs to order from non legal sites, I know cause I know everything, 90% of households smoke in Nunavut, anyone notice they dont provide just Nunavut stats on MJ why? cause it would blow everyones mind!! Boom coffee time!
The Nunavut government allocates $7.5 million per year towards drug addiction and mental health services. Patients are sent to BC where they stay at for profit rehabs. It’s a lucrative industry for the dealers and the healers and its big business for private industries to cash in on – Nunavut is especially vulnerable because it already lacks its own facilities to deal with addiction and healthcare needs that result from the disease. Yes there are underlying issues, but Nunavut healthcare has always been really good with providing counselling and therapy services. Addiction and the absolute nightmare it creates for the entire family is a whole other beast. I hope the Nunavut government stops allowing these rehabs to take advantage of it and the public money being used to make the owners of these rehabs in the south rich.
It is non Inuit who are bringing hard drugs into Nunavut. Kallunart and Poteegii have poisoned our communities. Us Inuit never used to to take drugs until foreigners came to Nunavut.
Foreigners? Seriously?
Is this how you think of your fellow Canadians?
Also, do try to reduce your use of racial slurs.
You know, the form of rebuttal that cries foul over the use of a word is just so ineffective and weak. Pudlu’s comment is filled with delusional BS, but this retort sounds like something from a child and is embarrassing.
Hey, the post was just following the example set by Inuit over the word eskimo. Fair enough, but if that is the way that it is going to go, then act with dignity and reciprocity. If is eskimo is a slur, then so is pooteegi and kallunat.
Calling other Canadians foreigners in their own land and under their own flag is a bigoted mindset that has no place in our country.
If it is okay, then presumably it is okay to call all Nunavut Inuit in the south outsiders?
Just say no to drugs simple as that! And this includes weed which damages the brain and is a gate way drug to harder drugs!
“Gate way to hard drugs” I haven’t laffed so hard in awhile. I have been smoking weed, hasheesh, budder, shatter, badder, honey oil, since nineteen seventy eight (1978). I’m now 60 years old. You have been misinformed by those who oppose weed or it’s resins. The pharmicutical company fears weed as it is a natural remedy for some ailments.
Mmmm, the recent research would very much disagree with you. Maybe not so much on the ‘gateway’ effect, but the damage done by large (note large, not a Saturday night toke ever now and then) amounts of strong (not the ditchweed you would have been introduced to given your age) weed at a young age is very clear.
That’s what we have now – daily users of very strong weed very young in life while their brains are still developing. The connections to poor mental health outcomes and anxiety when used this way are pretty definitive.
Back in 2021/22, President Joe Biden sounded the alarm on the increasing fentanyl flow from Canada into the USA.
Trump a few years later, upped the concern by linking Canada’s fentanyl production problem to trade negotiations.
As if Trump was holding a mirror for Canadians to see what their country has become. A narco state. Thus, a must to crack down on precursor shipments from China and take back control of its ports.
Interesting, Orange man bad, to dislike Trump became a common theme across Canada.
Canada is known worldwide as a drug manufacturer and shipper. Suppling 80-85% to Australia/ New Zealand. Canada also ships to the US, UK and Asia.
It’s estimated there are 20-30 active cartel-level criminal organizations across Canada from 6 countries. Each with their own niche specialty.
So until Canada takes it seriously by changing money laundering laws, fixing its porous borders/ports and acting on its lax enforcement, it will get much worse… increasing zombies and deaths.
On December 15, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order claiming fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals as “a weapon of mass destruction…” The White House, Fentanyl WMD Fact Sheet names Canada, China and Mexico on their “failure to address the flow of poisonous fentanyl” and the imposed tariffs for the non action.
It has been bad in years past with the alcohol abuse. It is far worse now with the mix of chemical and stronger substances. In large life it is not easy, and I would say it is only getting more difficult. Regular habitual use of drugs prescribed or other is not a good idea. We need to play and work together, social animals as we are, to get us through the things that life throws our way. I would agree that to slow the rising tide, passing on information to authorities of those selling would be a start, our people, the great north family need to have the opportunity to having a life worth enjoying. If you need help there are people to call upon, Isuarsavik and the Aaqitauvik Healing Centre and the network supporting those come to mind.