This article was co-written by David Mendes. David is the national program coordinator for the Canadian Association of People who Use Drugs (CAPUD). He is an artist and activist who created and directed the shadow unit in "Illicit," the successful theatre production. He lives in Vancouver's Downtown East side. As 2018 comes to an end like the lives of thousands of our family members, friends and co-workers, it seems there may be hope in the fight against the overdose epidemic. Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, has publicly stated that developing a "safer supply" of regulated opioid drugs is being actively reviewed with Canada's provincial and territorial governments.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck Heroin being prepared at a supervised injection site in Vancouver.

Hailshadow via Getty Images