B.C. woman says drug users hold solution to growing overdose crisis
VANCOUVER — Drug users are the solution to addressing overdose deaths and providing services to people before they die alone, says a woman who attended a meeting of health professionals in Vancouver trying to develop new strategies to deal with a growing crisis in B.C.
Karen Ward, a board member of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, was among about 20 drug users who joined doctors, including the provincial health officer, and the chief coroner at the all-day meeting Friday.
Ward lives and works in the Downtown Eastside, where North America’s first supervised injection facility opened in 2003 and multiple resources are available for people who use illicit substances.
She said there’s less stigma in the neighbourhood compared with other areas where people often don’t use available services, such as overdose prevention sites, because they feel stigmatized.