Episode 41: New Front, Old War

[ALT Text: Photo of the back of Garth Mullins as he stands at a podium, facing a crowd in Vancouver’s Victory Square Park. Mullins is wearing a black DULF t-shirt and black pants. People in the crowd hold up signs in support of DULF. At the bottom of the frame the word “Crackdown” is written in white, capitalized, block letters. (photo by Sam Fenn)]

Toxic drug deaths continue to break records in BC. We need an immediate expansion on all harm reduction initiatives. More than anything, we need a real safe supply.

Instead, the BC NDP is moving backwards. They’ve fallen in line with a nation-wide moral panic and are actively rolling back the province’s hydromorphone prescribing and drug decriminalization programs. Last month, cops arrested DULF co-founders, Jeremy Kalicum and Eris Nyx. Their crime? Doing what the government refused to do — provide a safe supply of drugs to people at risk of toxic drug death.

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Statement of disclosure: In this episode we include a quote from Dr. Thomas Kerr, Director of Research for the BCCSU. Dr. Kerr is a partner and intellectual director at Crackdown and a thesis supervisor on Garth Mullins’ PhD dissertation.

Credits

Crackdown is produced on the territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil Waututh Nations.  

Our editorial board is: Samona Marsh, Shelda Kastor, Jeff Louden, Dean Wilson, Laura Shaver, Reija Jean. And, rest in peace, Dave Murray, Greg Fresz and Chereece Keewatin.

This episode was conceptualized, written, and produced by Sam Fenn, Alex de Boer, Lisa Hale, and Garth Mullins.

Score by James Ash.

If you like what we do, support us at patreon.com/crackdownpod.

Thanks for listening. Stay safe and keep six.