August 31, 2020.  Today is International Overdose Awareness Day, but so what? Who needs to be made aware? Who among us can’t see the corpses piling up from this endless war? And just when you think things can't get much bleaker, they do. On today's show Garth interviews Tim Slaney. Tim is a harm reduction worker at the supervised consumption site in Lethbridge, Alberta - one of the busiest in the world. And the government is shutting it down. Music from the Arches Mic Club featured in this episode: "Dream Big" by Lonzo, Leland, and Doobyis "Fully Beaded" by Lonzo, Doobyis, and Buck  "Back at the Start" by Karley B  "Speak These Words" by Lil Branden, Doobyis, Colicchie, and Lonzo 

Episode 19: Losing Hope

The drug war, covered by drug users as war correspondents. Crackdown is a monthly podcast about drugs, drug policy and the drug war led by drug user activists and supported by research. Each episode will tell the story of a community fighting for their lives. It’s also about solutions, justice for those we have lost, and saving lives.

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Right wing politicians say safe supply will hurt kids – that young people will get hooked on drugs they’d otherwise never try. But kids already use drugs. If we want to protect and stabilize the lives of young people who use drugs, we need a regulated, non-toxic drug supply. On episode 44, we hear from … Continue reading Episode 44: Kids on the Block Part 3 – Danny →

Episode 44: Kids on the Block Part 3 – Danny

Rightwing politicians and media pundits want us to fear safe supply and harm reduction. They say these interventions are putting children and families in danger, when we know the opposite is true. But there is one thing these conservatives are right about: Canadian kids have never been less safe. Not because of harm reduction, but … Continue reading Episode 43: Kids on the Block Part 2 – Jade →

Episode 43: Kids on the Block Part 2 – Jade

Across the country, politicians and the media are fearmongering about children’s safety. They’re using a faux concern about families to attack harm reduction and the drug user movement. And their rhetoric is rolling back life-saving, public health responses to the overdose crisis. But now young people are pushing back. They’re saying they don’t want to … Continue reading Episode 42: Kids on the Block Part 1 – Bones →

Episode 42: Kids on the Block Part 1 – Bones

Toxic drug deaths continue to break records in BC. We need an immediate expansion on all harm reduction initiatives. More than anything, we need a real safe supply. Instead, the BC NDP is moving backwards. They’ve fallen in line with a nation-wide moral panic and are actively rolling back the province’s hydromorphone prescribing and drug … Continue reading Episode 41: New Front, Old War →

Episode 41: New Front, Old War

In the trades there’s a zero-tolerance policy on substance use. But the construction industry relies on drugs. Cocaine and stimulants help maintain a demanding rate of production and opioids treat the pain caused by injury and gruelling physical labour. On the 40th episode of Crackdown, we tell the story of one construction industry veteran, Trevor … Continue reading Episode 40: Boys Don’t Cry →

Episode 19: Losing Hope

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