Megaphone will host a series of public events with facilitator Khari McClelland to build awareness and compassion in communities confronted by the overdose epidemic.

The public events are designed to help change our understanding of the overdose crisis, including why people are dying and how individuals can help stop these deaths at the policy, community, and individual level.

• Events are free and all are welcome
• Space is limited, advance registration is recommended
• Doors at 6:30 pm
• Program at 7:00 pm
• Venue information below

Event # 1: Wednesday, February 6, UBC Robson Square, room C300: Why do we have stigma?

The Speakers Bureau team of current and former drug users will join renowned drug policy expert Donald MacPherson of Canadian Drug Policy Coalition for a conversation linking the personal with the political. Through personal stories and expert policy analysis, we'll learn origins and impacts of stigma, and with the help of a reflection team, will discuss how we can move forward together.

Event # 2: Tuesday, March 12, Mount Pleasant Vancouver Public Neighbourhood House Crime vs health: With leading experts including Pivot lawyer Caitlin Shane, explore the impact of criminalization and how it impacts people who use drugs when accessing services like healthcare.

Event #3: Tuesday, April 9th, The Post at 750: Who is telling my story? With professional story tellers, explore how the narrative of drug use across different platforms impacts how we think about drugs and the people who use them.

Event #4: Tuesday, May 14th, 312 Main: From isolation to solidarity. Explore the significance of community during the overdose crisis and how to build a community better able to support drug users.

These events take place on the ancestral, traditional, and unceded homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples. We would like to acknowledge the historical and ongoing colonial genocide against Indigenous peoples that make it possible for many of us to be here on this land.

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Megaphone’s Speakers Bureau, presented by Central City Foundation and established in 2019, is a public awareness program connecting audiences with speakers who have lived experience of drug use and overdose prevention. Find out more: www.megaphonemagazine.com/speakersbureau