The ‘Safe Supply’ Movement Aims to Curb Drug Deaths Linked to the Opioid Crisis

On a morning Zoom call, a group of Canadian mothers give their full attention to a young man from the Drug User Liberation Front. At 26, Jeremy Kalicum is the age some of their kids would be if they had not died of accidental overdoses. <strong>“We’re just sick of it. We’re sick of our friends dying.”</strong>Kalicum’s tone is urgent as he walks the moms through a PowerPoint presentation explaining why the Liberation Front, known as DULF, wants to protest on International Overdose Awareness Day and hand out illicit drugs. These wouldn’t be the kind that killed their sons and daughters, he assures them; they’d be “safe supply” drugs that have been tested to ensure they’re not laced with lethal fentanyl. “Anyone who wants to find drugs can find drugs,” says Kalicum, reasoning that the best way to save lives is to make sure users are given the safest possible drugs. “The drugs that they’re finding are of unknown quality and unknown potency.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Then, after 15 minutes of slides and stats, Kalicum and DULF co founder Eris Nyx makes their pitch: they want these mothers, from a group called Moms Stop the Harm, to join them and other activists in their distribution mission, an admittedly risky protest that could land them in jail. It’s a tough sell, but it’s critical to saving lives, say Kalicum and supporters of the “safe ...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized feature nationpod photography Source Type: news