AAWEAR

Great news out of Alberta ‼️ Court Injunction obtained against Red Deer Overdose Prevention Site rollback. OPS are healthcare facilities for people who use drugs and rolling them back or closing them means people will use alone and overdose. drugdatadecoded.ca/injunction-obt…

🚨PAPER RELEASE - LINK BELOW🚨 We present our third academic paper, a dive into the now-shuttered Compassion Club and Fulfillment Centre. What once stood as a safe haven, offering dignity and hope in a society bent on punishment, has been crushed under legal pressures and political scorn. In this paper you will see the Compassion Club wasn’t just about providing regulated access to substances. It was a place of resistance, where people could access community-regulated substances, avoid overdose, and reclaim some control over their lives. It was about more than health; it was about dignity, self-worth, and recognizing the humanity of those society so easily writes off. It was a rare space of connection, belonging, and purpose. But this research isn’t just a look back—it’s a call to action. It challenges the failed drug policies that led to this point and asks us to imagine a different future. It argues that compassion isn’t just a kind gesture; it’s a powerful force for change, one that can reshape lives and society. True care means recognizing that everyone, no matter their struggles, deserves respect and dignity. While the closure of the Compassion Club is a deep loss, it’s not the end of the story. This paper is a reminder of what was possible and a push to keep fighting for a better way—a world where care, not punishment, is the norm, and where we show up for one another when it matters most. journals.plos.org/plosone/articl…

Join us as we discuss healthcare access leading up to drug toxicity deaths in #Ontario and share key insights from our upcoming collaborative report with @PublicHealthON 🗓️January 9, 2025 ⏰11:30am ET catie.ca/healthcare-acc… @CATIEinfo

AAWEAR’s Lethbridge Chapter, Courage, is doing a short donation drive leading up to their next Community Day event! ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Please bring washed items to The Network Building (515 7th St S, Lethbridge, AB T1J 2G8) for Saturday, November. 16th at 12 pm! ⁣⁣

Join us for this webinar tomorrow (Oct 22)! How do health car providers impede or facilitate access to and engagement in care?

As we approach World Mental Health Day on October 10th, it’s important to explore the complex nature of our mental health and how we can better manage it. One common mental health issue facing individuals is depression.

Calgary must expand SCS' to save lives, reduce public drug use, and make our communities safer. Closing these sites won’t fix the crisis. Sign here to show City Council you want safe neighbourhoods: forms.gle/thJn62ijK4bJ34… #ableg #yyccc #abpoli

Jasper Place Wellness Centre has not operated on Stony Plain Road for over a year. @BoyleStreet now operates at our old Stony Plain Road location. For questions about their services, please contact them directly.

Want to know what it's like to get your drugs checked at Substance? Nervous about coming into our space? Check out this video explaining how #drugchecking works at storefront in #yyj. #harmreduction youtube.com/watch?v=TtnQ_U…

Our 4th skill-share is happening next Thursday, July 4th at 12pm PST on Zoom! Join us as we sit down with our former board member, Jennie Pearson (CGSHE) to talk about her media toolkit that was created especially for s*x workers. Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regist…

The critics love to say: “Harm reduction has failed! Look how many more people live on the streets and commit crimes since the introduction of harm reduction!” 👉 Harm reduction has been in use in North America since the 1980s. 👉 The first drug treatment centre opened in North America in the 1930s. Today in Canada, we spend 62% more on treatment than we do on harm reduction, and fewer people are sober than ever before. If you think the solution to the drug crisis is either/or (I DON’T) … WHICH ONE OF THOSE STRATEGIES 👆👆👆LOOKS LIKE A FAILURE?!! We have almost 100 years of inpatient recovery treatment programs, and the “addiction problem” — as Conservatives like to call it — is EXPONENTIALLY WORSE. How come no one 🤔🤔🤔blames the recovery industry for not fixing: ➡️the toxic illicit drug supply? ➡️ public safety? ➡️ poverty? ➡️ homelessness? It makes the exact same amount of sense! #ToxicDrugCrisis #AllTheTools

Current state of journalism in Canada: the National Post falsely accuses Dr. @andreasereda of lying, then quietly changes their headline & edits their article because they were the ones lying about a widely advertised AGM posted in full online being a 'closed door' meeting

Edmonton! Join us for Support Don’t Punish 2024! Wednesday, June 26th, 2024 Tag a friend you want to see there, and tell us what #SupportDontPunish means to you!

Visited a couple of consumption sites this week (though I didn’t personally consume psychoactive substances at either one). One sells - and celebrates! - regulated drugs, and the other allows you to use unregulated drugs safely. One is socially acceptable and the other isn't. But remember this if you like to drink at bars — don't judge others for doing what works for them, and what helps keep them alive. Lucky for you, your substance of choice is regulated and has quality control. #harmreduction #supervisedconsumption #bars #toxicdrugcrisis

Do you have plans on Saturday, June. 15th? If not, consider joining AAWEAR’s Calgary Chapter, Grateful or Dead for their scheduled Community day event!⁣ ⁣ All are welcome to attend! We will meet behind the SORCe building (316 7th Ave SE, Calgary) at 11 a.m before heading out.

June. 2nd, is known as International SW's day - a time aimed towards creating discussions on the exploitative working conditions and lack of legal safeguards for SW. SW is both a racial justice and a gender justice issue. Check out our other socials to learn more!

In June, we honour National Indigenous History Month with June. 21st representing National Indigenous Peoples day. ⁣ ⁣ Check out our other socials to read the full post!

☀️ It’s Chapter Meeting Week!⁣ ☀️⁣ ⁣⁣ Both AAWEAR's Calgary Chapter, Grateful or Dead, and Lethbridge Chapter, Courage, will be meeting at their regular set times for tomorrow.⁣ ⁣ ⁣ If you have any questions, feel free to direct them to: communications@aawear.org ⁣⁣

#throwback to a couple months ago, when AAWEAR had the opportunity to attend the Red Deers Taboo show! ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Our staff and volunteer members had such a blast, and handed out naloxone kits, educational harm reduction pamphlets, condoms and lube. ⁣⁣⁣