Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU)

A group of former and current drug users provide peer support and education to improve the lives of people who use illicit drugs. Organizes social action in communities to save lives. Promotes local, regional, and national harm-reduction education and interventions; and works to ensure that drug users have a voice in the creation of programs and policies designed to serve them. Provides harm reduction supplies, along with harm reduction education and referrals to health services, addictions services, and other social supports. Provides safer drug use supplies such as crack pipe mouthpiece and screens, and injection supplies. Provides safer sex supplies, including condoms. The Overdose Prevention Outreach Team patrols the Downtown Eastside in teams of two, providing access to naloxone kits, disposing of used needles, and responding to overdoses. Office hours are 10 am to 4 pm Monday to Friday.

Provides opioid users with free Take Home Naloxone Kits (Narcan) that can be used to reverse the effects of overdoses from opioids like fentanyl, heroin, methadone, morphine, and oxycodone. Overdose prevention site provides a place with six stations where people who use drugs can be safely monitored and treated immediately if they overdose. Peer support staff are equipped and trained in administering naloxone. Operates from 10 am to 10 pm seven days a week.