Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users calls for an ‘end to this farce’ 10 years into state of emergency

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A rally organized by the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) on Tuesday commemorated those lost to the toxic drug crisis 10 years after a public health emergency was declared in B.C. over a spike in illicit drug deaths.

The rally was one of numerous events that marked the grim anniversary, with more than 18,000 people having died of toxic drugs since the state of emergency was declared on April 14, 2016.

VANDU got its start by distributing clean needles to community members in 1997 amid spiking HIV rates. Its members were involved in the 2003 opening of Insite, North America’s first supervised injection site.

Ten years into the public health emergency, VANDU president David Hamm said the thousands of people lost to toxic drugs weren’t just numbers, but people, and their deaths were preventable.

David Hamm, president of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, said politicians were backing away from harm reduction policies that were keeping people safe. (Shawn Foss/CBC)

“Today is about all the … people that have been lost,” he said.

“It’s not just our friends down here, [it’s] a cross-section of society. Everybody has been touched by this … every family, I’m sure of it.”

Hamm has been at the non-profit for 20 years, and said VANDU has always been informing and educating others, and helping people get their drugs tested and not use alone.

Dozens of people attended the VANDU rally on Tuesday, which marked 10 years since a public health emergency was declared over illicit drug overdoses. (Shawn Foss/CBC)

The group, which was once considered militant and known for bringing fake coffins into Vancouver City Hall, has been recognized by the city for its years of advocacy.

But Hamm says it never stopped calling on governments to keep people safe, and said at Tuesday’s rally that politicians were backing away from harm reduction policies in the face of political rhetoric.

“We’re calling for an end to this farce, and to get into the real meat and potatoes … let’s get done with this. It’s way too long,” he said.

People attending the rally held up signs urging the government to take action to prevent toxic drug deaths. (Shawn Foss/CBC)

‘It’s like a family’

Jenni Wren, one of the rally’s attendees, said she first came to VANDU when she arrived in Vancouver, and said it was “a place where it’s like a family.”

“A lot of people out here are not the shady badasses that people think they are, right?” she said.

“It’s a lot of good people that care about each other, and we’re just trying to help each other stay alive.”

Hamm said that everyone deserves their human rights, and that governments should prioritize a safe supply of drugs to keep people alive.

He said the rally, which featured a moment of silence, also featured a “moment of rage” for a community that needs to heal itself.

“We’re doing this to make sure that all the efforts our comrades put in don’t go in vain, man. We’re not going to give up. Not ever.”