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In Vancouver, the city highlighted some of its increased efforts to combat the ongoing opioid crisis, such as Megaphone Magazine’s “How to Save a Life: Frontline Stories” series.

Megaphone is one of the city groups to receive a grant from $600,000 set aside for community organizations to collaborate on overcoming the overdose epidemic.

In the news release, said Megaphone has held two neighbourhood events to date, one at the Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House and one at the West End’s Gordon Neighbourhood House, to help counter the stigma towards addictions illicit drug use by telling the stories of drug users and peer overdose responders.

“Our team of storytellers and overdose responders are sharing perspective and training with people across the city,” said Megaphone executive director Jessica Hannon. “At each event they offer overdose prevention training, supplies and perspective to help ensure communities respond to addiction and overdose in their community with skill and compassion.”

Megaphone will hold additional events until Nov. 13, which it is advertising on special Facebook page for the initiative and registration is still open for the remaining dates.

More information on the trend of overdose deaths in B.C. can be found in the B.C. Coroners Service’s latest report, which covers 2007 to Aug. 2017.