Our first event is a wrap in our speaker series on the toxic drug crisis, “Out of Harm’s Way: Insight, Innovation and Action on the Toxic Drug Crisis.” More than 200 people attended the event at First Metropolitan Church sanctuary.

Join us Wednesday Feb. 26, 3-6 p.m. for the second event in the series, a look at interventions and evidence related to the toxic drug crisis.

The afternoon will open with a keynote from Dr. Ashley Heaslip, Island Health’s Medical Director for Addictions Medicine. People working on the front lines of the toxic drug crisis will then share some of their successes, challenges and hopes for the future in a lineup that includes information on the work of:

• Doctors for Safer Drug Policy
• Overdose prevention in social housing
• The Harbour safe consumption site
• SAFER drug substitution program
• First Nations Health Authority toxic drug response
• Umbrella Society and paths to recovery

Our second dialogue that afternoon will look at what the evidence says about effective ways to reduce the terrible toll of the toxic drug crisis. Harm Reduction Nurses’ Association President Corey Ranger will lead a dialogue with Island Health Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Reka Gustafson; University of Victoria researcher Karen Urbanoski, Canada Research Chair in Substances, Addictions and Health Services; and Jeanette Bowles, University of BC research scientist in the Department of Medicine, BC Centre on Substance Use.

More details coming soon on our final event on March 26, 2-5 p.m., featuring a powerful dialogue among people with lived experience talking about their own experiences with recovery (in the broadest definition of that word). Click here for updated information on these events as the dates draw closer.

Thank you to the participants of our opening dialogue on Jan. 29 – from left to right in the photo above: harm reduction and recovery advocate Guy Felicella; former BC chief coroner Lisa Lapointe; Canadian Drug Policy Coalition Executive Director DJ Larkin; Qom Qem outgoing director Lacey Jones (and incoming Director of Toxic Drug Response for the First Nations Health Authority); Moms Stop the Harm co-founder Leslie McBain; and moderator Dr. Perry Kendall, BC’s former provincial health officer.

Admission is free for all events. See you there!