Harm Reduction

Alcohol and Drug Information and Referral Service (ADIRS)

Provides free, confidential, multilingual, information and referral regarding community resources for people in BC dealing with substance use and addiction issues. Also covers education and prevention resources, and other concerns such as harm reduction. Telephone assistance is available from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays.

• Resource Listing: https://bc.211.ca/result/the-alcohol-and-drug-information-and-referral-service-adirs-9505601
• Lower Mainland: 604-660-9382
• Elsewhere in BC: 1-800-663-1441

Harm Reduction Strategies and Services (HRSS)

This service of the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) hosts Toward the Heart, a website with information about sites across BC that distribute safer sex supplies, drug use supplies, and naloxone. The website also lists overdose prevention sites and supervised consumption sites. HRSS also runs the free Take Home Naloxone program (Narcan), which supplies opioid users with injectable naloxone kits that can be used to reverse the effects of overdoses from opioids. 

Community based drug checking services are facilities that have supplies and equipment on site to test drugs from the unregulated market. Individuals can bring their drugs in for analysis as a means of preventing potential harm to themselves or fellow users from an overdose or other risks. Also included are programs that distribute test strips, which individuals can take and use to detect the presence of fentanyl in a drug sample.

Drug Checking Sites by Health Authority

Fraser Health Drug Checking sites

• Fraser Health Drug Checking sites
• Vancouver Coastal Health Drug Checking sites
• Northern Health Drug Checking sites
• Interior Health Drug Checking sites
• Island Health Drug Checking sites

Please note that many safer supply programs are at capacity. Contact them first to check on availability of space and service.

Interactive map: Canada’s response to the opioid overdose crisis

This interactive map lists locations of opioid-related activities taking place in communities across Canada, including non-supervised consumption sites offering drug checking, Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) – safer supply projects, and supervised consumption sites currently offering services.

Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP)

Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) provides grants and contributions funding to respond to drug and substance use issues. The Program has active projects that assist with obtaining safer supplies including:

• AVI Health and Community Services Society: Offers prescribed alternatives programs which provide prescribed pharmaceutical alternatives to the unregulated drug supply to prevent and reduce the incidence of ‘overdose’/drug poisoning. Serves Victoria, Nanaimo, Courtenay/Comox Valley, and Campbell River.
• Dr Peter AIDS Foundation Overcoming Barriers to iOAT program: Provides medically supervised pharmaceutical grade opioids for injection. The program allows individuals to receive prescribed hydromorphone as an injectable opioid treatment twice daily.
• BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS’s Hope to Health Innovation and Research Centre: Offers personalized, low-barrier access to a variety of opioid medications.
• Safer Alternatives For Emergency Response (SAFER): A low-barrier, flexible safe supply program that provides several medication options, including hydromorphone and fentanyl, and is integrated with other health care and social services. Operated by PHS Community Services Society in partnership with the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU).
• Injectable Opioid Agonist Therapy (IOAT): Provided to residents of Johnson Street Community in Victoria, operated by PHS Community Services Society. Under Island Health.
• Tablet Injectable Opioid Agonist Therapy (TiOAT): Offered at Cowichan Valley Wellness and Recovery Centre, in partnership with Lookout Housing and Health Society.

Toward the Heart | Harm Reduction Strategies and Services (HRSS)

This service of the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) hosts a website that lists health authority-issued drug alerts throughout the province. Toxic drug and health alerts are currently available by text message in Interior, Fraser, Northern, Vancouver Island, and Vancouver Coastal Health regions. To sign up, text the word JOIN to 253787 (ALERTS).