Vancouver and San Francisco are iconic West Coast cities with many things in common -- including large numbers of people addicted to hard drugs. In recent years, Vancouver has been at the forefront of new approaches to addiction, including safe injection sites.
As San Francisco considers similar programs for its 22,000 intravenous drug users, what can we learn from Vancouver?
Guests:
Sarah Blyth, founder of the Overdose Prevention Society
Dr. Keith Ahamed, addiction medicine specialist at St. Paul's Hospital
Dean Wilson, member of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users
Web Resources:
Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users
PRI The World: Vancouver combats heroin by giving its addicts the best smack in the world
Vox: The opioid painkiller and heroin epidemic, explained
Newsweek: What Is Fentanyl, The Drug Linked To Thousands of Deaths in North America?
