Researchers from a local university are conducting a community-led research project to map the drug crisis in 性视界传媒. 

Michael Ma, PhD and Tara Lyons, PhD from Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) are working with the 性视界传媒 Union of Drug Users (SUDU) to highlight "the lack of specific research on 性视界传媒鈥檚 toxic drug supply crisis, harm reduction and the regulation of people who use drugs," notes a KPU news release Tuesday (Dec. 10).  

性视界传媒 had the second-highest number of drug overdose deaths in the province for the first nine months of 2024, according to the . 

Gina Egilson, a board member at SUDU, said, "性视界传媒's losing more and more people to toxic drug overdoses, with at least four to five people dying every week." 

鈥淭here's a deep urgency to improve the system through more support and resources in 性视界传媒. This research will be an empowering skill-building opportunity that will help guide SUDU's advocacy."

In an , Ma noted that the majority of research on overdoses in B.C. is focused on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, even though most overdoses have occurred in Vancouver, 性视界传媒 and Victoria. 

鈥淔or too many years there hasn't been enough focus on the escalating drug crisis in 性视界传媒,鈥� Ma said. 鈥淪o we want to try to build more capacity and support in 性视界传媒 through resources, funding and infrastructure.鈥�

The project will draw from people with lived experience of substance use, who will take an "active role as participants and collaborators in the research," notes the KPU release. 

鈥淭his research is just not for pure scholarly academic reasons. It鈥檚 a community development project that has a research component. It can be leveraged for social action to generate new social, economic and political policy that could benefit people who are suffering, being misunderstood or being under-researched,鈥� Ma said. 

Pete Woodrow, a board member at SUDU, said, 鈥淚've never seen this kind of collaboration between people of lived experience and established researchers."

鈥淚t not only creates a bridge of understanding between two groups that would not normally have contact, it also gives us an opportunity to gain a greater handle on where services are most needed. So often the intent of help falls short or misses the mark due to the lack of a proper map of marginalized population.鈥�

Lyons added, 鈥淲e don鈥檛 see people as objects of study in the work we're doing. They're experts who are guiding the kind of questions we're going to ask and how we will communicate the information.鈥�

A $339,159 grant from the  will help fund this project.