Heather Hobbs

Life-saving and life-affirming services and initiatives I care about are in funding crises. Learn more about the ever-increasing police budget in @victoria.ca. Compare police priorities with your vision for the world. Policing poverty & the consequences of punitive social policy is a choice.

BREAKING WIN for PWUD: Supreme Court of Canada rules against the Saskatchewan government and police attempt to claw back the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act in R v Wilson. Pivot argued, and the court agreed, the law protects against simple possession convictions, charges, AND arrests at ODs.

YouTube video by Needs More Spikes VicPD draft budget 2026

At 1 hour 5 minute mark, "we're looking at implementing Health IM [I think], which is coming to VicPD shortly." Platform to allow officers to securely share info with Island Health in real time during mental health apprehensions to make assessments. www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpX9...

Legal Aid Fundraiser II How You Can Help Donate Directly Now: Zeffy Donations:Donate easily via Zeffy to continue supporting DULF’s fight: E-Transfers and PayPal:Send funds to:druguserliberationfront@gmail.com Join Our Le…

The community has put in an incredible fundraising effort for DULF, now totalling nearly $300k for the legal defence.

They need $350k, the annual salary of one police chief. Consider supporting right now — court is in session.
dulf.ca/dulf-aid-2/

politicians started complaining and DULF was busted one week before the Coroner's Death Panel recommended that the government expand the response to ensure nonprescription access to regulated drugs

as DULF had done

and the government rejected it in the middle of the press conference

"Everyone knew what was happening," judge admonishes Crown as DULF awaits trafficking verdict Justice Catherine Murray closed the trial with remarks that showed sympathy for the accused and noted the confusing behaviour of Health Canada, the Vancouver police and all other political entities du...

DULF case in court today. Judge: “everyone knew what was happening. It seems like these 2 [Nyx & Kalicum] are being hung out to dry. As soon as politicians started complaining, all of a sudden VPD-which before was fine-suddenly was not fine.” drugdatadecoded.ca/everyone-kne...

Jason Miles’ addiction cost $260,000 in emergency room, shelter and jail stays. A Toronto hospital’s radical solution: just give him a home Jason Miles’ addiction cost $260,000 in emergency room, shelter and jail stays. A Toronto hospital’s radical solution: just give him a home

Jason Miles’ addiction cost $260,000 in ER, shelter and jail stays. A Toronto hospital’s radical solution: just give him a home. Dunn House backers say the supportive housing project saved the health system millions.
www.thestar.com/news/gta/jas... via @thestar.com

I appreciated this conversation.

In this Brief, Veronica Fuentes explores the question, how can harm reduction reflect our traditions of care, mitigate harms, and sustain the life of people we love who use drugs? Read here: yellowheadinstitute.org/2025/a-love-...

Agreed in general for sure. Medical professionals also need to integrate a nuanced analysis of power & oppression. We've got a 'chief scientific advisor' psychiatrist in the premier's ear with some very problematic framings.

"The more that we can give people alternatives to toxic drugs, the more that we can give them some stability and some support," she said. "I think from a community's perspective, they would see a lot of changes."

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

#bcpoli

cool dude with a keffiyeh and a homemade log hat with a saw through it

Good hat.
#DrawTheLine

I was honoured to talk with @sethdklein.bsky.social & @anjaliappadurai.bsky.social about the interconnections between drug war & the climate apocalypse. It's all necropolitics.

"The findings echo a February 2024 statement from Canada’s Federal Housing Advocate, who described forced encampment evictions, including “street sweeps,” as a #humanrights violation and urged all levels of government to halt the practice."

@victoria.ca @saanichbc.bsky.social

It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of Louise Vincent, INPUD’s Interim Chair, a long-time Board Member, a respected friend, and a true peer leader in our global movement.

Read more: inpud.net/with-deepest...

Wage Solidarity: Fight the War on Drugs Every August 31, International Overdose Awareness Day brings people together around the world to take action on preventable overdose deaths and the legislated violence of drug policy. On August 31, We...

Donate your day's wage as a concrete action to fight the war on drugs and help Weaving Our Worlds raise $10,000 in 2 weeks to defend the Drug Users Liberation Front. Why? See link below.

#IOAD2025 #SolidarityForever

chuffed.org/project/dulf...

I no longer say that every overdose is a policy failure.

Every overdose is a policy *decision*.

IOAD as complicated grief is a profound understatement.

page 97 - pub-victoria.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.a...

When words fail, folks keep finding them. It's a good letter.
#IOAD2025
@davidebybc.bsky.social

🖤👊🏼

September 1st on BC Legislature Lawn, 11am-1pm. International Overdose Awareness Day Die-In, to demonstrate lives lost to the ongoing toxic drug crisis and demand better from our government. Put on your purple shirts and join us. 💜

Finally, if you're on Lekwungen territory and looking for ways to mark #IOAD2025, The Docs and The Moms are making space for us to gather on September 1.

#YYJ #YYJEvents #VictoriaBC @dsdp.ca @momsstoptheharm.bsky.social

Legal Aid Fundraiser II How You Can Help Donate Directly Now: E-Transfers and PayPal:Send funds to:druguserliberationfront@gmail.com Bitcoin Donations:Send Bitcoin to:bc1qhtj9v8tu0vwhwef4p56qn5slwanq0sd5f7tqmj Monero Dona…

And it's always a good time to kick some cash over to the Drug Users Liberation Front, who have been fighting for all of us for years and who really need our help to keep the fight going.

dulf.ca/dulf-aid-2/

SAFER Knowledge Translation & Exchange (KTE) - AVI Health & Community Services The SAFER Knowledge Translation & Exchange (KTE) Initiative supports current and prospective prescribed alternatives (PA) providers through hands-on

There are a number of great links here from AVI Health & Community Services which go into more detail about prescribed alternatives ("prescribed safe supply").

We also need real decriminalization, ongoing decolonization, regulation, and de-medicalized options.

avi.org/service/safe...

Victoria SAFER Initiative

This short write-up accompanies the above video and was kindly published by CATIE.

www.catie.ca/programming-...

YouTube video by CATIE Victoria SAFER Initiative: Safer Supply Program

This short video is a couple years old & worth a re-share, IMHO. A lot of misinformation is circulated about prescribed alternatives & this lays out some of the facts plainly. As we approach #IOAD25, it's worth taking the time to understand the many ways #HarmReductionWorks

youtu.be/iRuXM8aS-4U

Donate to Support Turning Point's Future, organized by Turning Point Turning Point Society is a non-profit organization in Red Deer, Alberta that was establis… Turning Point needs your support for Support Turning Point's Future

They’ve been operating since 1988 but need our help now more than ever: www.gofundme.com/f/help-turni...

Opinion: Closing Alberta harm-reduction hubs is going backwards By shuttering low barrier and harm reduction services, we are going backwards, not forwards.

Disappointed to hear the Alberta government cut funding to Turning Point in Red Deer, the city’s longstanding harm reduction agency. This leaves a big gap in support for people who use drugs and/or are unstably housed in Red Deer. edmontonjournal.com/opinion/colu...