To the Editor,
Re: City must address crime, illicit drug use, Letters, April 30, 2025
We’re writing in response to recent concerns about safety, substance use, and the future of our community. These are real fears — no one wants to feel unsafe or see neighbours in crisis. But real solutions require compassion, facts, and approaches that save lives.
Since 2016, over 50,000 Canadians have died from toxic, unregulated drugs. The crisis has devastated families and overwhelmed communities, including our own.
We agree that building self-esteem and purpose is vital — but that only happens if people survive. That’s why overdose prevention sites exist: not to enable drug use, but to prevent deaths, offer care, and provide a path to recovery.
These sites do not supply drugs; they offer sterile equipment, supervision, and referrals. Research shows they reduce overdose deaths by up to 35 percent in nearby areas. Insite, North America’s first site, has had more than 3.6 million visits without a single death.
There’s also confusion around “legalization.” Drugs remain illegal in B.C. A small-scale decriminalization pilot means people aren’t arrested for possessing small personal-use amounts, but public drug use is still prohibited under recent legislation.
Overdose prevention is just one part of a bigger solution — alongside treatment, housing, and mental health supports. Accurate information about these things is crucial: as Dr. Cornelia Wieman of the First Nations Health Authority said: “The misinformation being spread... has the potential to have devastating effects.”
The people affected are not strangers — they are our neighbours. They deserve dignity, safety, and support.
Alysia Maschak,
for Port Alberni Community Action Team
