‘Drug use doesn’t stop’: Advocates open unofficial, after-hours OPS tent in Vancouver

Advocates and people with lived experience have opened an after-hours overdose prevention site in the Downtown Eastside that’s open from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., seven days a week.

The tent located at Pigeon Park is run by the Coalition of Peers Dismantling the Drug War, a group that advocates for safe supply and amplifies the voices of people who use drugs.

Kali Sedgemore, the group’s president, said the peer-led initiative was launched to fill a need in the community.

“Drug use doesn’t stop when closing hours happen. No drug use is open to close. It’s whenever people need it,” they said.

'WHERE THE PRIORITIES REALLY LIE'

Sedgemore said the coalition sent a letter with Pivot Legal Society to Vancouver Coastal Health in March, asking the health authority to expand operation of certain OPS locations to 24 hours, seven days a week, or to create a stand-alone site that offered these expanded hours. Sedgemore said they never received a response, despite following up numerous times.

“It flies in the face of this line that health authorities and the province touts around listening to people who use drugs, taking people who use drugs seriously,” said Caitlin Shane, a staff lawyer with Pivot Legal Society.

“This is exactly the kind of action or inaction that shows us where the priorities really lie.”

In a statement to CTV News, Vancouver Coastal Health said that Insite, the Overdose Prevention Society and the Molson Overdose Prevention Site, which are all located on the 100 block of East Hastings Street provide a combined 20 hours of overdose prevention services daily.

It added that during weeks when people receive income assistance and disability checks, 24/7 service is provided at the Molson OPS.

TENT HAS SEEN OVER 50 CLIENTS

Sedgemore said despite these measures, people will still use drugs when the sites are closed, and that by offering expanded hours permanently, less people could be lost to the illicit, toxic drug supply.

The after-hours tent opened July 9. Since then, it’s served over 50 clients and provided dozens of harm reduction supplies.

VCH said it’s aware of the after-hours tent, and while it is not operated or funded by VCH, plans are underway to provide supplies and training to help keep those staffing and using the tent safer.

Sedgemore said the tent will continue to run until the group’s funding runs out.

“We’re community members who are living with people that are dying every day and this is not how it should be, but it’s how it’s going to be for now, until VCH steps up,” they said.