For nearly a decade thousands of people have died in so called Canada from the toxic unregulated drug supply. One person dies every 2.5 hours in Ontario, alone. What has made addressing the toxic drug death crisis challenging has been the constant vilification, scapegoating and hatred of specific communities of people who use drugs. Especially people who are struggling to survive - outside. Media, politicians, government policies, medical institutions, enforcement, racism, classism and propaganda have all shaped the negative ways people view people who use drugs and this dominates the discourse in society. The negative construction of the drug user is widely accepted and with its acceptance thousands more people will die and or be subjected to incarceration, unless we shift our understanding of drug policy, drugs and the people who use and sell them. Solidarity across drug users’ experiences is paramount as fascism and authoritarianism continues to rise and calls for involuntary treatment (which already exists) grows. Through interrogating the current drug treatment system, and through historical discussions of drug policy this talk will help shape a broader understanding of the current political climate and our desperate needs for solidarity.
