Car rally aims to drive away drug use stigma
Decked-out in purple, motorists in everything from hot rods to an old Ford pickup rolled around Richmond on Sunday, hoping to drive away stigma around toxic drug use.
The event, called Drive to Destigmatize, coincided with a grim anniversary: when B.C. declared the overdose crisis a public health emergency eight years ago.
“The reality is, people are dying in their homes,” said organizer Trevor Tablotney.
“My brother went to work, he went home, he did drugs, he was playing Fortnite at the time, and he passed away,” he told CTV News.
Tablotney argued that people forget that addicts and users come from all walks of life, and can be rich or poor.
Drive to Destigmatize organizer Trevor Tablotney is pictured on Saturday, April 14. (CTV News/St. John Alexander) The event is designed to let drug users know that there are people who can offer support, and that they are not alone.
“It’s easy for the suburbs to ignore this problem, but the problem is everywhere,” he said.
It’s a concern echoed by the provincial government on Sunday, who acknowledged “the catastrophic impact this crisis has had on so many people in British Columbia.”
“Every life taken by this crisis is a loss to our community—they are friends, parents, siblings and children. To the families, friends and loved ones: we see you, we stand with you and we share in your pain,” Premier David Eby said in a statement.
Since the public health emergency was declared on April 14, 2016, an estimated 14,000 people have died from toxic drug use.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
The pros and cons of discussing mental health issues in the workplace
A group of lawyers has written what they call a groundbreaking book about how mental health is perceived in the legal profession.