Unconditionally safe: how the drug using community helps each other when healthcare services fail
Why It Matters
From 2016 to 2021, Canada saw around 26,690 apparent opioid toxicity deaths. Without recognizing the power of peer support and non-judgement, many social service and community intervention organizations may be relying on outdated and colonial methods of doing their life-saving work.
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Content warning: This story mentions drug addiction.
In the heart of Boston, between warehouses and industrial parks, lies the Mass and Cass neighbourhood. Often seen as a drab area by most locals, Brendan Little describes it as a place that “wasn’t designed for people to be there.” And yet, it’s become and continues to be home to a strong community of people who live in encampments, and many of whom use drugs.
When Little was growing up in Boston, in a particularly dysfunctional family, he found solace in the streets — in areas like Mass and Cass. He found a community of kids in the downtown area who, l
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