08/17/2026
Thank you Pearls for partnering with us this month to showcase the effect of the toxic drug crisis on our town, and point to our International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) event this August 31st.
Highlighted in this display is the disproportionate effect this crisis has on Indigenous people due to the ongoing effects of colonialism, racism, and intergenerational trauma. According to First Nations Health Authority, in 2025 First Nations people died at 5.4 times the rate of other BC residents. For First Nations women, this number increased to 9.1 times the rate of other female BC residents. It is important to understand the documented, devasting impacts the war on drugs has had in Canada, primarily on Indigenous communities and people of colour, and how this approach has resulted in substantial health and social harms, including an increase in overdoses.
This month and every month, we call for reconciliation commitments that address the underlying structural conditions that produce drug-related harm, including overdoses. Thank you again to Pearls for helping us highlight this important issue in our community this month.
