Compassion, Inclusion, Engagement (CIE) is a provincial partnership between the First Nations Health Authority and the BC Centre for Disease Control to address stigma and discrimination experienced by people who use substances, particularly those who are Indigenous. As part of our Reducing Harms priority, the Foundation is thrilled to have raised $110,000 towards this incredible initiative that is supporting people with lived and living experience of substance use (peers) create change in their own communities.

CIE supports people with lived experience, primarily in remote and rural communities, in forming peer groups. Peer groups have been instrumental in advocating for the rights of people who use drugs and for meaningful change in drug policy that saves lives. CIE peer groups are empowered and supported in two ways: through skill and capacity building and through seed funding.

By providing capacity building support, these groups learn tangible skills in how to organize, develop a mission, learn about navigating group dynamics, grant writing, financial management and more. The seed funding that’s provided is to support their on-the-ground work, which ranges from operating peer-run overdose prevention sites, training and distribution of naloxone and harm reduction supplies, providing needle clean up, and providing employment and income to members.

Charitable donations to this program support both the skill building and seed funding, allowing peers to make a difference locally, in a way that is relevant to their members and community. This program is important to public health because of its ability to save lives in the context of a public health emergency, its proven success of reducing stigma associated with substance use, and because of the social determinants of health that it addresses.

There are always more peer groups and work to do. You can join the others who have made this work possible by making a gift to our reducing harms priority today. Follow along with us as we highlight some of the fantastic groups and their work in the coming weeks, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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BC is experiencing an overdose crisis and the public needs more information to dispel myths around drug addiction and who it affects. The BCCDC Foundation, BCCDC, and Science World teamed up to organize an event that had experts and health care workers share information as a public panel. Panelists included:

• Dr Mark Tyndall, BCCDC’s Executive Medical Director
• Sarah Blyth, Vancouver Overdose Prevention Society
• Sgt Mike Wheeler, VPD
• Erica Thomson, Fraser Health
• Patrick Smith (Four Bears, Culture Saves Lives
• Moderator: Don Shafer, Roundhouse Radio

A handout to provide basic information opioids, fentanyl, and the overdose emergency in BC was circulated for attendees. A downloadable copy for general use can be found on the BCCDC Resources page, with lots of other helpful information on the Toward The Heart website .

The panel answered questions about how we got here, how is the VPD responding to the overdose crisis, what are the social and environmental issues that need to be addressed, what can be done about a toxic drug supply and more. The panelists were able to provide diverse perspectives but shared a common voice in saying that a secure, safe drug supply is required, it is a time for bravery around drug policy, that key social supports are vital and that we must listen to and value the knowledge of those with lived experience.

Some of the many pieces of information shared can be found by searching the discussions on twitter, as the Foundation @bccdcfoundation ‘live-tweeted’ the event, along with others in the audience; read the hashtags #overdosecrisis and #overdosecrisisSW

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