J Stewart

Episode 53: Goodbye Ashtrey — Crackdown Podcast We lost another soldier from the front lines. Trey Helten, longtime manager of the Overdose Prevention Society and all around harm reduction hero on the Downtown Eastside, has died at 42. Trey saved h...

Trey Helten was nothing less than a hero. He saved hundreds of lives by reversing ODs, driving people to treatment & just being kind. Trey was a friend to Crackdown and appeared on the show twice. We'll never forget you, Trey. Rest in power. rb.gy/ztwctt

Temporary inhalation site in Nelson marks drug crisis anniversary April 14 is the nine-year anniversary of the toxic drug crisis in B.C.

My annual contribution to this day, which every April I have come to dread.

Public invited to Trail event tackling toxic drug crisis in the trades Registration open for "Building Hope: Addressing Mental Health and Substance Use in Industry"

www.nelsonstar.com/home/public-...?

Supervised consumption sites in Ontario still face closure—despite a court ruling recognizing the risk of irreparable harm.

Last week, the Ontario Superior Court acknowledged these closures mean greater risk of overdoses, deaths, & disease transmission.

Press Release: drugpolicy.ca/despite-onta...

This is exquisite, and heartbreaking, and beautiful, Jackie. You never cease to amaze. Thank you and kudos ✊🏼

Opinion: Living and dying through B.C.’s overdose crisis Documenting the everyday of a forever emergency

I wrote something for @theglobeandmail.com about my experience photographing the toxic drug supply crisis and the people I love who continue to fight for evidence-based solutions.

www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...

Harm reduction doctor behind Nanaimo overdose site resigns in protest – The Discourse. Dr. Jessica Wilder steps down from harm reduction leadership roles at Island Health and at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital after being put on administrative leave following participation in an unsan...

Two Vancouver Island addictions medicine doctors have resigned in protest following Nanaimo doctor Jess Wilder being put on administrative leave by Island Health after organizing an unsanctioned overdose prevention site with @docs4saferdrugs.bsky.social. Island Health denies that it was punitive.

Unregulated drugs killed fewer people in 2024 in B.C., but advocates say numbers still far too high | CBC News The B.C. Coroners Service says 2,253 people were killed by unregulated drugs in 2024, marking the lowest death toll from the drug-toxicity crisis in four years.

Unregulated drugs killed fewer people last year in B.C., but advocates say numbers still far too high. B.C. Coroners' Service says the #ToxicDrugCrisis claimed 2,253 livesin 2024 -- more than 6 per day -- a 13% decrease from 2023.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... via @cbcnews.ca

More Unsanctioned OPC to Pop Up Outside Hospitals Across Canada Two months after doctors in British Columbia set up a pair of unsanctioned overdose prevention centers (OPC) outside local hospitals, ...

My latest for @filtermag.bsky.social is about a new hospital-based overdose prevention site on Vancouver Island, and growing interest in replicating these pop-ups across Canada.

filtermag.org/overdose-pre...

YouTube video by Gord Johns Harm reduction expert speaks about how stigma impedes response to the toxic drug crisis

The cost of disinformation & stigma is too high when it comes to the toxic drug crisis. Disinformation about harm reduction will have tragic consequences if life saving services are closed. We need stay focused on ending the crisis, not removing supports.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aODT...

T, outstanding as always. Excellent article.

Consultation with substance users lays out solutions to Canada's drug crisis Nelson was one of the communities that participated in the report by the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition

A new report that relied on consultation with people who use substances lays out seven solutions to ending the toxic drug crisis. www.nelsonstar.com/local-news/c...

Ontario’s Unconscionable Supervised Consumption Sites Shutdown On December 2, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, passed a law that will shut down 10 supervised drug consumption ...

"An assault on harm reduction in the province that will cost untold lives."

10 sites to be shut down under new legislation averted over 1,500 overdoses in 2022/3. Vital associated services, like drug checking, will also be lost.

Matthew Bonn reports:

Guess Mastodon didn’t work out