Bridging the Gaps: Building Compassionate, Collaborative Responses to the Toxic Drug Poisoning Crisis in Small British Columbia Cities

Since 2016, over 15,000 lives have been lost to BC’s toxic drug poisoning crisis. Smaller urban and rural areas are disproportionately affected, often lacking resources and political support for vulnerable populations. Despite support for evidence-based harm reduction policies from the province and health authorities, municipal leaders have at times prioritized business and property interests over medical evidence and the voices of those impacted. My project will bridge healthcare responses, municipal actions, and the needs of those affected by the crisis. Working with Dr. Sharon Karsten within the research project Walk With Me and our existing partnership with Island Health, I will use document analysis, interviews, and community-engaged methodologies to explore health policy implementation in three Vancouver Island communities (Comox Valley, Nanaimo, Port Alberni), and identify communication and policy gaps between health authorities, municipal governments, and people with lived and living experience. Through direct collaboration, this project will foster connection among municipal staff, healthcare providers, and affected individuals, generating actionable insights to improve crisis responses and build lasting partnerships.