Talking about a crisis

Photo: Okanagan College

"The overdose crisis — how did we get here?”

That question is on the mind's of many people these days.

There were more than 1,400 deaths related to illicit drug use in B.C. in 2017, a dramatic jump from the 993 in the previous year.

“Addiction, especially opioid addiction, doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all approach. Most chronic diseases don’t,” said Cheyenne Johnson.

Johnson is the director of clinical activities and development at the British Columbia Center on Substance Use and the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse.

Johnson will be speaking at the Okanagan College Kalamalka Campus in Vernon on March 9. The talk is open to the public and is part of the Science in Society Speaker Series. 

Johnson will share her views on stigma, science and social policy in Beyond opioids: the overdose crisis — how did we get here?

“Harm reduction is the foundation of all substance-use care," stated Johnson. "It is the lens through which we provide programs, policies and services, such as needle distribution, safe consumption sites, overdose prevention and education.”

A renowned researcher in the field of substance use, Johnson will share her perspective on the challenges of dealing with one of the worst public health crisis in the province’s history.

The discussion will provide a broad overview of the current overdose crisis and will also focus on the key gaps in improving the substance use system of care in B.C. 

Admission to the lecture is $7 in advance or $10 at the door. For advanced tickets call the Okanagan Science Centre at 250-545-3644 or go to okanagansisss.wordpress.com.