The Opioid Crisis in Vancouver
Panelists: Lorna Bird, President, VANDU (Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users); Darwin Fisher, Manager, Insite; Mark Tyndall, Director, BC Centre for Disease Control; Mohammad Karamouziam, Research Assistant, BC Centre on Substance Use; Travis Lupick, Journalist at The Georgia Straight and author of "Fighting for Space"; Moderator: Shovita Padhi, Medical Health Officer, Fraser Health; School of Population and Public Health, UBC
Coach House, Green College, UBC
Tuesday, April 17, 7:15-9:00 pm
in the series
Green College Special Event
The Green College Outreach Committee hopes to raise awareness in our academic community regarding the opioid crisis, particularly, how and why it has escalated to the level of a crisis, why it is disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable members of our society, potential remedies for the situation and what Insite and other organizations are currently doing to combat this crisis in the DTES. Admission to this event (and the Documentary Screening) is by donation, with funds raised going directly to Insite (PHS) at the end of this academic year. To Date, the largest portion of donations raised are from “Green College Society Members”, people from outside our community who attend events, lectures and galas. Insite was chosen because they are a well-recognized harm-reduction organization in the DTES and they operate daily on a limited budget to protect and save lives. We anticipate that attendees to this event will mostly consist of graduate students (including students from the SPPH and graduate residents of Green College), UBC faculty and non-resident members of the Green College community who regularly attend other Green College events.
Schedule:
7:15 - 8:45 PM Panel Discussion with tea and coffee
8:45 - 9:00 PM Q&A + Closing Remarks
For many academics, the everyday realities of the DTES are far away from their own lived experiences, but considering that the opioid crisis cuts across social lines and geographies, the Outreach Committee hopes to bring a stronger sense of urgency and reality into our community.