Episode 57: We Ain’t Dead Yet
Description
Garth and Sam discuss Elanore Sturko, Vaughn Palmer and Tristin Hopper’s responses to Canada’s declining overdose deaths in 2025. Was it the NDP’s abandonment of decriminalization and “prescribed alternatives” that caused fewer Canadians to die? (No it wasn’t).
Table of Contents
[04:21] SEGMENT 1: Show updates - we ain’t dead yet!
[08:01] SEGMENT 2: Canada’s ultraconservatives want credit for the declining overdoses. Do they deserve any?
[23:26] SEGMENT 3: Community Profile - Tyson Singh Kelsall, Police Oversight with Evidence and Research (POWER).
[25:34] SEGMENT 4: Evaluating the federal Liberal Party. Is there anything they can do to stop the attacks on overdose prevention across the country?
[36:05] SEGMENT 5: How much credit does the drug user movement deserve for the declining overdose numbers?
[41:58] SEGMENT 6: Bubble pipes and other kinds of glassware are becoming scarce in BC. We discuss an open letter written by drug users.
Notes
You can support our friends at Power here: https://www.policeoversight.ca/
Graph - “Necropolitics” in fatal overdose projections (link):
Graph - Declining fentanyl purity since 2023 (link):
Graph - Reddit posts discussing fentanyl droughts (link):
A link to VANDU’s open letter on glassware shortages in BC will be uploaded here when it’s available.
Works Cited
Reports
BC Centre for Disease Control. “Population Estimates of Opioid-Related Harms in BC.” 2026.
The Public Health Agency of Canada. Modelling Apparent Opioid Toxicity Deaths during the Overdose Crisis. Government of Canada. 2025.
The Government of Canada. “Opioid- and Stimulant-Related Harms in Canada: Key Findings.” 2026
Press Conferences
Cable Public Affairs Channel. “Federal Officials Hold a News Conference on Illegal Drug Crisis.” Press Conference, 2026.
Gebien, Darryl. Zöe Dodd Brave Words to Politicians at Health Canada’s Opioid Symposium 2018 in Toronto. YouTube. 2018.
Books
Lupick, Travis. Fighting for Space: How a Group of Drug Users Transformed One City's Struggle with Addiction. Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press, 2017.
AudioBooks
Mbembe, Achille. Necropolitics. Translated by Steven Corcoran. Narrated by Sean Crisden. Tantor Media, 2021. Audiobook, 8 hr., 31 min.
Journal Articles
Fischer, Benedikt, and Wayne Hall. “Recent Decreases in Drug Overdose Deaths: Assessing Evidence for Supply-Related Drivers and Implications for Health-Oriented Drug Policy in Canada.” Preventive Medicine 209 (August 2026): 108607.
Fischer, Benedikt, Wayne Hall, Didier Jutras-Aswad, and Bernard Le Foll. “Considering Possible Drivers of the Recent Decrease in Drug Overdose Deaths in Canada.” The Lancet Regional Health - Americas 47 (July 2025): 101141.
Irvine, Michael A., Daniel Coombs, Jane A. Buxton, Robert Balshaw, Mark Gilbert, David M. Patrick, Mark Tyndall, and Navdeep Chami. "Modellingthe Combined Impact of Interventionsin Averting Deaths During a Synthetic-Opioid Overdose Epidemic." Addiction 114, no. 9 (September 2019): 1602–1612.
Lavalley, Jennifer, Linda Steinhauer, Dino (Boomer) Bundy, Thomas Kerr, and Ryan McNeil. “‘They Talk about It like It’s an Overdose Crisis When in Fact It’s Basically Genocide’: The Experiences of Indigenous Peoples Who Use Illicit Drugs in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood.” International Journal of Drug Policy 134 (December 2024): 104631.
Vangelov, Kasey, Keith Humphreys, Jonathan P. Caulkins, Harold Pollack, Bryce Pardo, and Peter Reuter. “Did the Illicit Fentanyl Trade Experience a Supply Shock?” Science 391, no. 6781 (2026): 134–36.
News Stories - Videos
“Calgary’s Supervised Consumption Site Closes after Nearly a Decade of Debate.” Global News. June 30, 2026.
“‘Heartbreaking’: 1 Overdose Death Every 5 Minutes.” Rush Hour - News Nation. May 11, 2022.
“‘I Want to Help Them’: Doug Ford Says He’s Closing Safe Consumption Sites for People’s Own Good.” CTV News. March 16, 2026.
Lavoie, Joanna. “West Toronto Supervised Consumption Site Shutting down after Ford Government Pulls Funding.” CTV News, October 27, 2025.
“No ‘Silver Bullet’ to Solve Canada’s Toxic Drug Crisis: Health Minister.” CBC News. June 15, 2026.
“Ontario Government Defunds Supervised Drug Consumption Sites, Forcing Closures.” City News. March 16, 2026.
“Opioid Crisis May Be Declining Canadians’ Life Expectancy.” The National. October 23, 2018.
“Opioid Deaths Are on the Decline, but Canada’s Crisis Is Still Far from Over.” CTV News. June 15, 2026.
“Overdose Prevention Site Shuts Down.” CTV News Vancouver. February 4, 2026.
“Pierre Poilievre Calls Supervised Consumption Sites ‘drug Dens,’ Vows to Close Them.” CBC News. July 12, 2024.
News Stories - Print/Online
Finkle, Derek. “Academics Trying to Gaslight Residents Terrorized by Safe Injection Site Crime.” National Post. October 1, 2025.
Hopper, Tristin. “B.C. Premier Admits That Decriminalizing Drugs Was a Mistake.” National Post. October 7, 2025.
Hopper, Tristin. “B.C. Recriminalized Drugs, and Overdose Deaths Are in Decline.” National Post. June 27, 2026.
Paling, Emma. “EXCLUSIVE: Carney Government Prevented Parkdale SCS from Staying Open.” The Grind, January 21, 2026.
Palmer, Vaughn. “Dropping Opioid Death Toll Hints B.C. NDP Retreat on Harm-Reduction May Be Working.” The Vancouver Sun, June 15, 2026.
The Canadian Press. “First Nations Overdose Deaths in B.C. Drop in 2025, but Still Disproportionally High.” CTV News, April 15, 2026.
Social Media Posts
Sturko, Elenore. X Post. June 16, 2026: https://x.com/elenoresturko/status/2066890213021122905.
Vote4ABC. Instagram Post. May 5, 2026; https://www.instagram.com/reel/DX-srKjxNHZ/.
Credits
Crackdown is produced on the territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations.
Our editorial board is Dean Wilson, Jeff Louden, Laura Shaver, Samona Marsh, Delilah Gregg, Ryan Maddeaux, Scotty Archonous and Martin Steward. Rest in peace Shelda Kastor, Dave Murray, Greg Fresz and Chereece Keewatin.
Thanks to Alex de Boer for helping us find some of the articles we discussed on the show.
This episode was conceptualized, written, and produced by Sam Fenn and Garth Mullins. Sam and Garth also wrote and recorded all the music in this episode.
If you like what we do at Crackdown, please support us at patreon.com/crackdownpod.
