Author: Vincent Tao

InSite safe for now

by Vincent Tao

Appeal Court upholds Pitfield Ruling, January 15, 2010

The federal government appealed the 2008 Pitfield ruling which essentially ruled that drug users rights to health is fundamentally more important that laws against drugs. Now the B.C. Appeal Court has upheld that original ruling. Although the Feds are likely to appeal again to the Federal Supreme Court this latest Appeal Court ruling is surely a victory for the right of drug users to relevant health services.
Read the full 110 page ruling here

No to Ticketing in the DTES

by Vincent Tao

VANDU members speak out against the Vancouver Police Department ticketing the poor in the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood.

Police are ticketing people for jay-walking, leaving the sidewalk, smoking in a doorwar, and other petty offences. Fines quickly add up to the hundreds of dollars and police levy such fines knowing full well the individuals issued tickets will be unable to afford such fines. Since there is no diversion option, such as community service, people end up doing months of jail time due to unpaid jay-walking tickets.

New Book About DTES Organizing

by Vincent Tao

RAISE SHIT! Social Action Saving Lives

Raise Shit!This book tells a story about community activism in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side (DTES) that culminated in a social justice movement to open the first official safe injection site.

This story is unique: it is told from the point of view of drug users – those most affected by drug policy, political decisions and policing. It provides a montage of poetry, photos, early Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) meetings, journal entries from the Back Alley, the “unofficial” safe injection site, and excerpts from significant health and media reports.

The harms of prohibition, and resistance, hope, kindness, awakening and collective action are chronicled in these pages.

PACIFIC SUMMIT ON DRUG USER HEALTH

by Vincent Tao

6/12/2009-6/14/2009

VANDU hosted the Pacific Summit on Drug User Health at the Delta Hotel on Hastings Street. Bringing together some 100 user activists from all over B.C. and the Yukon for three days of discussion and workshops. Summit concluded with the formation of the BC/Yukon Association of Drug War Survivors.

A comprehensive report entitled Health Status of People Who Use Illicit Drugs in British Columbia at the Summit was presented at the Summit by VANDU. Download Powerpoint

VANDU Empowerment Employment Project

Empowerment

by Vincent Tao

Vandu’s Employment Service

VANDU Empowerment Employment Project

Vandu has created a social enterprise employment service for its members.

VANDU Empowerment’s purpose is to do the work that other companies lack the expertise to do and, if left undone would add to the misery and hardship of marginalized people.

VANDU Empowerment employs VANDU members to perform many of their services and its services range from preparing rooms for pest control to consulting services.

VANDU Empowerment donates 75% of its pre-tax profits to VANDU to help VANDU carry out its mission to improve the lives of people who use illicit drugs through user-based peer support and education.