In 2018, 1,510 people died of drug overdoses in B.C., including 237 on Vancouver Island.

Who were those people? Not who you might think.

They were fathers and sons, brothers, mothers and friends, professionals, tradespeople, students B次元官网网址� people with homes, friends and families who love them. No one is immune from this opioid epidemic.

Asked who is affected by the current overdose crisis, Chief Medical Health Officer Richard Stanwick answered without hesitation: B次元官网网址淲e all are.B次元官网网址�

HereB次元官网网址檚 what we know:

• 83 per cent of the people who died from drug overdoses were men
• 88 per cent of deaths occur indoors
• 76 per cent of those who died were aged 30 to 59

Recognizing the tragic consequences the current opioid crisis is having for our community, Monday Magazine, Victoria B次元官网网址 and Black Press Media wanted to find a way to respond in a meaningful way B次元官网网址� to make a difference.

B次元官网网址淲e see the impact of this tragedy every day and the toll itB次元官网网址檚 taking on individuals and families. To be able to help B次元官网网址� by sharing invaluable information, by helping reduce stigma and providing resources for people affected B次元官网网址� this is what we have been able to do with the support of our partners,B次元官网网址� says Penny Sakamoto, Black Press Group Publisher.

The result is the , inspired by our sister paper in Washington State, the Everett Herald, but exploring the crisis in the local context.

This publication would not have been possible without our partners and community leaders, The Victoria Foundation, United Way Greater Victoria, Camosun College and the Saunders Family Foundation, in addition to valuable support from the teams at Island Health and AVI.

And from it we have found some light amid the turmoil. For example:

• at supervised consumption and overdose prevention sites
• 1,045 Take Home Naloxone Kits were distributed in November 2018
• there were 226 active prescribers of Opioid Agonist Therapy, an effective treatment for opioid addiction, by the end of December 2018
• more people and groups are coming together to find solutions, provide resources and support each other

We encourage you to look for the Overdose Prevention Guide at various health and social services locations around Greater Victoria, or to . We also encourage you to join us at , May 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bay Centre.

And thank you all for making a difference.