Enough people in New West have died of toxic drugs since 2009 to fill the seats in Anvil Theatre, says the New Westminster Overdose Community Action Team.
The team is launching a new anti-stigma campaign as part of International Overdose Awareness Day. It's inviting community members to drop by its International Overdose Awareness Day event on Friday, Aug. 30, which is taking place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Hyack Square.
“This International Overdose Awareness Day, join us in remembering those we’ve lost to toxic drugs,” said a notice about the event. “We will be distributing resources and limited copies of our new zine, We Bend, We Don’t Break. This raw, unflinching publication lays bare the brutal realities of addiction and loss, offering a stark, powerful testament to survival and defiance in the face of overwhelming odds.”
Lola Ječmenica, coordinator of the Community Action Team, said We Bend, We Don't Break features personal stories from those who have lived through addiction and loss amidst this toxic drug crisis. The zine, part of the team’s anti-stigma campaign, is being released at its International Overdose Awareness Day event.
International Overdose Awareness Day is held in cities around the world each Aug. 31 to remember without stigma those who have died and to acknowledge the grief of those left behind. This year’s theme is Together We Can, which aims to highlight the power of community.
The New Westminster Overdose Community Action Team is launching its new zine, We Bend, We Don’t Break, at its Overdose Awareness Day event on Friday.
BC Coroners Service reports show that dozens of unregulated drug deaths have occurred in New Westminster in recent years, including 38 in 2023, 32 in 2022 and 47 in 2021. Its most recent report provided statistics from January to July 2024.
Ječmenica shared some thoughts with Record readers about International Overdose Awareness Day. Here is our Q&A:
Why is it important to commemorate International Overdose Awareness Day?
There is a social force that sweeps the stories of those who have passed away from toxic drugs under the rug because of shame and stigma, but IOAD gives people a chance to acknowledge the lives people lived prior to their deaths, and the grief of loved ones left behind.
How has the crisis impacted people in New Westminster?
From 2009 to 2024, 301 people have died from toxic drugs in New Westminster. That's enough to fill the seats at Anvil Centre Theatre. My team and I live in New West, and we consider all of the unhoused folks who are experiencing substance use here our neighbours. We worry when we haven't seen them in a while, we celebrate their wins. The homelessness and drug crisis is here and may be visible to all of us in New West, and it might make us uncomfortable or wary or sad, but its devastating effects are felt most by the people living in it day-to-day. There's a real network of care here, despite the circumstances. And I don't want people who live in this city to lose perspective.
For people who don't know, what is the community action team?
The New Westminster CAT is one of many CATs set up across the province by the Community Action Initiative to bridge gaps of care, reduce stigma, and help prevent drug toxicity deaths. We run a variety of programs and also work in partnership with other community organizations across New West. If you're interested in getting involved, reach out!
What’s happening at the Aug. 30 event for Overdose Awareness Day?
We will have rocks to paint on for a future memorial garden, candles to light, and copies of our zine, We Bend, We Don't Break. We will also have information on where you can test your drugs anonymously, use in a supervised space, and meet with other people to get support.
What is We Bend, We Don't Break about?
We Bend, We Don't Break is a collection of stories of people who have experienced the toxic drug crisis firsthand – either themselves or through losing someone they love. Many of the creatives involved in the zine have grown up here and made New West their home. There are stories of how harm reduction has worked for people, there are stories of recovery, of getting sober, relapsing, and getting sober again – we need all perspectives in this crisis. It's about taking these voices that often go unheard and bringing them to light.
Do you have a message to the community about the toxic drug crisis?
This doesn't just affect street-entrenched populations, and I really want to hammer this point home. Toxic drugs are also the leading cause of death of youth in BC – so many young people are dying after experimenting with substances at a party once or using at home alone. Its impact is far-reaching, and these deaths are preventable. We need more government-funded treatment and recovery beds, faster access to these sites, and safe supply. Advocates in the province have been saying this from the start – so when is it going to happen?
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