A community meeting by the 91Ô­´´ Overdose Response Community Action Team will do some mythbusting about substance use.

The Willoughby Table Talks will take place starting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 24, in the Willoughby Community Hall.

"One of the reasons for going into various neighbourhoods is to dispel some of the myths around substance use and add nuance to a conversation that has become very polarized," said organizer Daniel Snyder. "The primary issue of toxic drug poisoning is often conflated with addiction and homelessness. Data shows us that we are not in addiction crisis but rather a mass poisoning crisis. The majority of fatal overdoses in 91Ô­´´ occur indoors, in private residences."

Stigma is preventing society from doing more.

"Neighbourhoods like Willoughby, Aldergrove, Murrayville, and Brookswood are where our neighbours, friends and family are dying. Many of them employed, perhaps working in trades and transport, likely using substances (of unknown quality) alone in their homes," he noted. "These are the common stories. Yet stigma, our own biases, and our cultural programming (such as the way homelessness is visible, or how substance use is portrayed on screen and in the media) lead us to believe this is not happening next door. It is."

Now chair of the overdose response community action team, Snyder was one of those users.

"I was always housed and employed, and sort of 'functioned' during those years – at least enough to make it look to most people like I was okay. My drug use happened almost exclusively alone and locked behind close doors," Snyder noted. "I don't believe for a moment that I would be alive today had the drug supply been as unpredictable and toxic as it is now."

The event is free to attend, and dessert and refreshments will be served but it's not intended for everyone.

There will be six tables on six different topics, including reframing how to talk about substance use, supporting loved ones (what helps and what hurts), stigma, root causes, harm reduction, and supporting youth.

"This really is about dialogue – we aim to create a safe and open space for people to share perspectives and foster mutual understanding," he said. "My main goal is breaking from a reductive and polarized narrative to one that is more nuanced and understands that individuals are experiencing this crisis in many unique ways. Our table conversations are not debates – our goal is not to determine who is right or wrong, but to explore diverse viewpoints and experiences. We're working hard to have conversations guided by empathy, curiosity and respect for all."

Snyder said people will spend about 20 minutes at each table before switching.

"Our preoccupation with drugs – are they good or bad? – and our societal moralizing of drug use often causes us to miss sight of the humans that are struggling right in front of us. We think they should just stop doing drugs. Just go to treatment," he said.

People need to look deeper to find solutions, he suggested.

"I also hope people are inspired to realize we must shift culturally from punitive measures towards a more compassionate and empathetic approach. For instance this WAS the goal of decriminalization, but it was misunderstood and improperly implemented. Decrim is not about drugs, it's about people.

Decriminalization was done wrong and the wrong message was communicated, he noted.

"What people should've heard is 'we've decriminalized people. You're not a criminal any more for using illicit substances. Now we can wrap public health services around you, keep you safe, and point you in the direction of resources that will benefit you.' ... we've still got a long way to go. Decrim backfried in some sense because instead of reducing stigma, it seemed to have exacerbated it around our most vulnerable, the unhoused... yet we're oblivious to the way it benefits folks like me, a privileged, resourced, home dwelling, employed person… who is no longer a criminal for being in possession of an illegal substance."

The meeting is not appropriate for all ages.

"I think the conversations will be appropriate for teens 14-plus. Parents should use their own discretion," Snyder said.

The team is planning for more neighbourhood meetings.

"We're also holding one in Aldergrove on Oct. 16. And looking at Murrayville in early 2025," he said.

The LCAT is also readying for Overdose Awareness Day event in Douglas Park on Aug. 31. Watch for more information on that prior to the event.

"I hope to inspire people to curiosity around substance use and drugs of all kinds, including alcohol," Snyder added. "We do pretend or forget that alcohol is a drug and the people who drink it are all drug users. We've operated in a fear-based approach for most of the last century, and it's time to offer pragmatic, honest conversations that answer people's questions and help them understand there's more to any one person then the drugs they may use."