Canadian Drug Policy Coalition

05/28/2026

Many of the harms commonly associated with drug use are actually caused or intensified by the laws and policies surrounding it.

During CDPC’s appearance before the Irish National Parliament’s Joint Committee on Drug Use (An Comhchoiste um Úsáid Drugaí), Nicole Luongo spoke about how criminalization and prohibition drive preventable harms.

05/28/2026

Last month, CDPC joined the Irish National Parliament’s Joint Committee on Drug Use (An Comhchoiste um Úsáid Drugaí) to share insights on the legislative, policy, and operational changes Ireland could implement to reduce substance use harms.

Watch this clip to hear DJ Larkin's opening remarks.

05/07/2026

05/06/2026

Last week we were in Victoria for the CUPE BC Convention, where our Executive Director DJ Larkin spoke about the toxic drug crisis as a worker issue—and how government policy is shaping harm.

More than a decade into the public health emergency, that impact is showing up in workplaces every day. “CUPE members are actually bearing the brunt of government inaction in the middle of the present crisis,” said Larkin. “Health and social services, municipal workers, housing and community centre staff, education support workers, outdoor workers and library workers everywhere in between are on the front line.”

Larkin also spoke to how stigma continues to shape responses. “Stigma does political work. It helps governments dodge responsibilities. It keeps the focus on people in crisis, instead of the government decisions that helped create the crisis in the first place.”

And the path forward is clear: “Policy is a choice—and through solidarity we can change it.”

Thank you to CUPE BC for having us.

Read more: https://www.cupe.bc.ca/2026/05/02/toxic-drug-public-health-emergency-is-a-workers-issue-canadian-drug-policy-coalition/?fbclid=IwY2xjawRm7LFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFrTkp0ekpmNjExRnltNUF6c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHltxXG7BYyp75ngSdMqOtai0Uj8FmEV0z9bX1w0HmR-wN2mE5mhuDR9o2MZt_aem_Gw3tcjZy5QB9HmGdenu44Q

Slide 5: Karen Ranalletta, DJ Larkin, and Tony Rebelo (Secretary-Treasurer)

Slide 6: CUPE 5536 members and Suzanne Skidmore (BC Federation of Labour President)

05/05/2026

Today, we mark Red Dress Day, honouring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit+ people ( ).

We remember the lives taken, the families and communities impacted, and the ongoing calls for justice that continue to go unanswered.

Colonial violence is embedded in the systems and policies shaping people’s lives today. Punitive drug policies are part of that harm. They disproportionately impact Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit+ people, increasing exposure to criminalization, violence, and systemic neglect.

Take time today to reflect and take action in support of justice for Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit+ people.

Learn more: https://linktr.ee/candrugpolicy

05/05/2026

05/05/2026

05/04/2026

"Drug policy is not a fringe issue, it is a worker issue, it is a family issue, a community issue, and a public care issue... at a time when fear and stigma and convenience hold far too much power. It helps to define who is included, and who is abandoned."

DJ Larkin, Executive Director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition shared a vision for BC drug policy with convention delegates this morning, stressing that responses have to be fair, humane, and evidence based.

04/28/2026

On April 28, we remember workers who have been killed, injured, or made ill because of their work, and we renew our commitment to prevention.

This includes harms that are often overlooked. In Ontario, a major report found that construction workers are disproportionately impacted by opioid toxicity deaths. These deaths reflect the realities of physically demanding work and injury, ongoing pain, mental health strain, precarious employment, stigma, barriers to care, and exposure to an increasingly toxic unregulated drug supply.

These harms do not exist in isolation. They sit at the intersection of workplace conditions, health systems, and drug-related harms. When workers are injured and left in pain without adequate supports, and when the unregulated drug supply becomes more toxic and unpredictable, the risks grow.

In British Columbia, research is also underway to better understand similar issues in the trades, supported by the BC Trades Council, focusing on substance use-related harm, worker well-being, treatment and support pathways, and evidence-based responses.

If we are serious about worker safety, health, and dignity, we cannot treat these deaths as separate from the conditions workers are living and labouring through.

Read the Ontario research: https://odprn.ca/research/publications/opioids-in-the-construction-industry/

Learn more about drug policy and labour: https://drugpolicy.ca/our-work/labour-and-drug-policy/

04/15/2026

We know this crisis demands more than words—it demands action.

That’s why BCGEU is proud to support our strategic partner, the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition (CDPC), in their work to advance evidence-based, life-saving drug policy.

For 10 years, front-line workers, people who use drugs and their loved ones have been carrying the weight of a preventable crisis. Supporting organizations like the CDPC is one way we’re pushing for meaningful change.

Learn more about their work here: https://drugpolicy.ca/10-years-in-crisis-bc-decade-long-public-health-emergency/