Back-alley tent in Vancouver offers safety for addicts in bid to curb overdoses
VANCOUVER — Sarah Blyth was weary of rushing to counteract an overdose every time someone screamed “Narcan!” from a nearby alley in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, so she joined other activists to set up a supervised drug-consumption tent for addicts.
Blyth acknowledged the so-called pop-up site is illegal, but said she couldn’t stand by and watch as people overdosed in what she said is one of the most popular back alleys in the impoverished neighbourhood for drug use.
“We’re just trying to help,” said the former mental health worker who oversees a market space behind the small drug-consumption site where she volunteers. “It would be great if it wasn’t needed. But it is.”
The tent includes a half-dozen folding tables and various supplies including syringes, gloves and the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, known commercially as Narcan. It’s located around the corner from Insite, North America’s first legal supervised-injection site.