Thursday, June 9, 2022
Drug User Activist Distribute Tested Drugs Yet Again - “For the Love of All That Is Good, Listen to Us”
In desperate plea, VANDU and DULF once again distribute a community regulated supply of drugs, in response to April overdose death statistics and lacklustre and misguided provincial decriminalisation proposal.
Vancouver, BC - Drug user activists have once again distributed a community regulated supply of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine to commemorate the 161 British Columbians who died of overdose in April 2022. This is the sixth such distribution of drugs, and is part of DULF’s Dope On Arrival Program, which has distributed 310 doses of each cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine, without a single reported overdose, either fatal or non-fatal, to date. By giving away a regulated supply of drugs, VANDU and the DULF continue to demonstrate the life-saving potential of a community-led response to the overdose crisis.
This distribution was also held in direct response to BC’s decriminalisation framework. Lauded as a response to the ongoing crisis, this version of decriminalisation reflects the inadequate safe supply model in BC and remains a water down, bureaucratic version of our demands.
“There’s no safe supply in BC. We’ve lost 3 board members, that’s why we’re doing it ourselves.”
- VANDU Board
In the face of policy fumbles, we once again ask the government to hear our cries for systematic change. We desperately need the provision of a regulated drug supply, and still have not heard back conclusively from the Federal Government in regards to our request for a Section 56 Exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substance Act, which would permit us to provide one ourselves. Every day that passes marks another death in our community, and it is with heavy hearts that we wait in resolute anticipation, while doing our best to keep ourselves, our loved ones, and our families safe.
About Drug Users Liberation Front
Formed in response to the ever-mounting overdose deaths in British Columbia and across Canada, the Drug User Liberation Front looks to provide ta+ngible solutions to this devastating crisis. We are an organized collective of people who use drugs empowered to make change through direct action, courage and conviction, and fueled by the memories of the countless friends, families, and loved ones whose lives have been taken by an unjust, broken system of laws and policies.
About the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users
The Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) was formed in 1998 to bring together groups of people who use drugs. VANDU is committed to increasing the capacity of people who use illicit drugs to live healthy and productive lives. We do this by affirming and strengthening people who use illicit drugs to reduce harms both to themselves and their communities.