When Darlana Treloar lost her son Sean to a fentanyl overdose in 2016, very few people were talking about the toxic drug poisoning crisis.

sa国际传媒淚 knew I had to talk about it to warn people.sa国际传媒�

The Powell River overdose prevention site worker said the crisis has only gotten worse since her son died, but she didnsa国际传媒檛 expect the extent of its harm. Almost 1,100 people in B.C. died of toxic drug overdoses in the first half of this year, the highest number ever recorded over a six-month stretch.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 really surprised our government hasnsa国际传媒檛 given us safe supply,sa国际传媒� Treloar said, holding picture collages of Sean.

She was one of the many marking International Overdose Awareness Day (Aug. 31) at Victoriasa国际传媒檚 Centennial Square, who have mourned loved ones because of the crisis. While the group called for a number of actions, getting the government to stem deaths by providing safe drugs was their loudest call.

sa国际传媒淚f yousa国际传媒檙e not angry today about the drug poisoning crisis then you havensa国际传媒檛 been paying attention,sa国际传媒� Jennifer Howard, a drug policy advocate with Moms Stop the Harm, told a crowd. sa国际传媒淭he first priority must be to stop people dying, and this will include a safe supply for people who used street drugs.sa国际传媒�

Howard, who also lost her 24-year-old son Robby to an overdose, said the province isnsa国际传媒檛 listening to users, families, advocates or even its own experts amid skyrocketing rates of death that show its actions arensa国际传媒檛 enough.

sa国际传媒淥ur loved ones matter.sa国际传媒�

Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Sheila Malcolmson on Wednesday said her government has added treatment and harm-reduction services, but the increasing toxicity of the illegal drug market has outstripped those services.

sa国际传媒淚ncreasing supports and reducing stigma is a key part of our governmentsa国际传媒檚 work to build a comprehensive and seamless continuum of mental health and addictions care that works for everyone. Itsa国际传媒檚 also why we are decriminalizing people who use drugs,sa国际传媒� she said in a statement.

As the group marched through the middle of Victoriasa国际传媒檚 downtown streets, Terry McLean said it took her a while to believe in safe supply, but 10,000 deaths since 2016 sa国际传媒� her daughter being one of those sa国际传媒� is proof that simply telling people to abstain from using isnsa国际传媒檛 the answer. She added that a safe supply would make communities safer for everyone, not just users left with the illegal market as their only option.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 affecting our society as a whole so something has to be done.sa国际传媒�

The stigma surrounding drug use turning fatal is something Dave Keeler knows all too well after losing his neighbour to an overdose just two weeks ago, when he didnsa国际传媒檛 even know his friend was using.

sa国际传媒淗e didnsa国际传媒檛 want to tell me that he was going downtown to score,sa国际传媒� said Keeler, a street ambassador with SOLID Outreach Society. sa国际传媒淭hese are peoplesa国际传媒檚 brothers, these are peoplesa国际传媒檚 sisters, this could be your child. We need to stop the stigma and we need to accept people.sa国际传媒�

Today on International Overdose Awareness Day, a rally is seen marching down Johnson Street.

sa国际传媒� Victoria News (@VictoriaNews)

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