Mothers Agree - The Opioid Crisis is a Real Problem

This is the 13th series of reports “Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside: Past and Present.” The Downtown Eastside is a neighbourhood with severe issues, amongst them, poverty, homelessness and drug overdose, all of which have intensified with the pandemic.

Last week, Emma Gregory and LJI journalist Jase Tanner walked the streets of the Downtown Eastside and interviewed a number of people.

They noticed Mom’s Stop the Harm from across the street. Maybe it was the matching t-shirts, or maybe because they aren’t from the area. They were downtown that day because the opioid crisis killed their children. They came from all over the Lower Mainland to protest the current health policy which they say doesn’t see the facts for what they are. Addicts have a disease they say, and should be treated with care.

Each day this week, we’ll publish another of these interviews.

In the present day, the Downtown Eastside faces multiple issues all of which have been exacerbated by COVID 19. This is within a population that has been struggling for decades. Amongst these are housing, health; including overdose, mental health and the impact of the pandemic, poverty and homelessness, indigenous reconciliation and policing.

Future episodes will include representatives from various organizations: civic, provincial and grassroots, addressing the task at hand.

The work to be done is not to be underestimated yet the resilience and determination of community members, not commonly recognized, continues to grow. As well as these individuals, we will also be hearing from those who live in the community and call it home.