The Thomus Donaghy overdose prevention site (OPS) has experienced a series of relocations since its opening in 2021. Most recently, its planned reopening on June 1 was cancelled by the City Council. The OPS, which was named after an OPS peer worker who was tragically killed, is a supervised space that allows drug consumption without risk of criminal persecution, instead focused on providing drug testing or other support services if necessary. According to the Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) website, OPSs “help save lives by responding to overdoses quickly,” “prevent the transmission of infectious diseases,” and connect “people to health services.”…
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We might know about weed only through its either glamorized or demonized representations in media. But what might a more mindful approach to cannabis look like? How might we hold conversations that don’t shame or police others? How might we…
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Content warning: mentions of substance use and death. Across Canada, the toxic drug crisis persists as a social issue faced by thousands of citizens each year. In BC alone, over 14,500 people have died from toxic drug use since 2016.…
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Guy Felicella, a recovery advocate, and Dr. Monty Ghosh, an addiction physician, are proposing a plan to offer a stipend of $20 a day for people to enter a 90-day rehabilitation facility. Felicella explained that a $600 stipend per month…
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