Tag Archives: downtown east side

My Ideas on Curbing the Fentanyl Crisis

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1. The G Code

Drug Cartels and Gangs more often than not live by strict codes. If these groups were to strictly enforce a code against the use of fentanyl it would save lives AND make them more money. Gangs can’t make a profit off of people that are now dead because of their product and would avoid police by doing so. By banning the cutting of products with fentanyl in your groups; you will avoid bad publicity, retaliation for deaths as well as the police.

2. Drug Testing Kits

I’ve seen several documentaries over the past years of people creating stands at concerts so that people may test their drugs before use; non for profit agencies spreading awareness and substance harm reduction. If we were to implicate this same ideology in our vulnerable neighbourhoods it would at least give people a chance to know what they are about to take. We need to make these tests free and largely available to the public.

3. Chinese Import of Fentanyl

Large amounts of the fentanyl found in Canada can be traced back to chinese manufacturing and shipping. Canadian Law Enforcement and International leaders need to crack down on the Chinese imports and come down HARD. Our children are dying here and world needs to take notes on the big players; wheeling and dealing with the lives at risk. Who is at the top of the fentanyl food chain? And cut it off at the head.

4. The Pill Press

Banning the sale, shipping and distribution of the pill press may not solve this issue but it would be a big step in the right direction. The current premier of British Columbia Christy Clark did not want the pill press banned. We should write our leaders and subject them to strong disapproval of how they are handling this crisis. Shame on you Christy Clark.

5. Publicity

The more warnings in media about drug sources and drug awareness would make people think twice about what they put in their body; The Canadian government needs to spend money promoting drug awareness in Public places. In the poor neighbourhoods I go through the most prevalent advertisement is Alcohol. BY FAR. I am not impressed and would rather see a more productive approach to what is subjected to our eyes and our minds.

6. Drug Education

Education on all drugs; being so prevalent in todays society perhaps  should be a year around curriculum. This curriculum should be designed and maintained / up-kept on a regular basis to save the lives of this generation and generations to come in a pill filled society. Abstinence of drugs in our schools has never been successful and perhaps harm reduction is a proven tactic to prevent addiction / drug related deaths and increase treatment.

7. In-Sites

Vancouver was one of the first ( If not the first ) In the world to implement safe injection sites. A place where drug users can be assisted / monitored / watched while they inject and can stay in the facility while they are high. It was implemented in order to curb an H.I.V. epidemic in our community which was ranked one of the worst per capita in the world. AND IT WORKED. It saved thousands of lives and new In-Sites are in the works.

8. Legalization of drugs.

The war on drugs did not work. It created a systematic enslavement and increased addiction and poverty in specific communities.

Lets Just BE REALISTIC. And follow suite accordingly giving us a standardized use of drugs before this gets out of control… Oh wait it already is

Please share this post / comment your thoughts on this subject for discussion.

-Nina

Ohrn Image — Soul Gardens — Price Tags . Vancouver street art…

Soul Gardens is a community public art project led by W2 Community Media Arts that investigates the cultural history of the Downtown Eastside (DTES) as told through stories of food, gardening, and community. A collaboration between five muralists and five artist researchers the project draws heavily on individual and shared narratives within founding DTES cultural […]

via Ohrn Image — Soul Gardens — Price Tags

Downtown Eastside Vancouver (Nina Yin Street Videography) /Night Traps by Ashes of Purgatory

The streets of Vancouver tell millions of stories, good and bad. This day was an incredibly dark day of my life and has lurking memories attached with it, I could have easily overdosed or been taken advantage of in the making of this short film. Night Traps by Ashes of Purgatory / my best friend recorded this with me at Deluca sound Lab, he was living in the Sun Ah projects while I was hustling and had taken far too much substance 911 was eventually called but this footage was taken right up to that point. Night Traps. Street photography / cinematography. Vancouver’s downtown east side. A dark day.