UBCO’s collaboration with the community is breaking down barriers when it comes to accessing harm reduction services.

Today the UBC Okanagan News featured an article about the HaRT (Harm Reduction Team) and the good things they are accomplishing on campus.

HaRT’s work is especially important given the Province of British Columbia declared a public health emergency in April 2016 related to the toxic drug supply. Since then, BC has consistently reported the highest toxic drug death rates of any province in Canada, with six people dying on average every day in 2021. The number of drug toxicity deaths continues to climb year-over-year, further amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Young adults in the Okanagan use significantly more substances than young adults in the rest of BC. There’s lots of pressure for university students to have a persona of confidence, and it impacts their mental health. There are many layers to substance use but at the end of the day, it’s very much related to mental health. HaRT wants to reduce that stigma while also improving student access to various harm reduction supports.

Read the full article at UBC Okanagan News