Taija McLuckie: Episode 1: Introduction

In this episode, you'll hear Caitlin Burritt and Ashley White interview Tajia McLuckie for the first time. Tajia introduces herself and talks about her role as a harm reduction support worker, what motivates her in her work, and the disconnect between the decisions made by policy makers and the needs of people who use drugs.Glossary:Brave COOP:  The cooperative of people responsible for creating the Brave SensorBrave Sensor: An Overdose Detection tool for public bathroomsCAT: Community Action TeamDecriminalization: A three year pilot project which began on January 31, 2023,which exempts adults carrying small amounts of illicit drugs from being subject to arrest or criminal charges.Downtown Eastside: The Downtown Eastside is a neighbourhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, known for having a large unhoused population, many of whom are affected by substance use disorder.Mobile Response Team: An outreach team in Taija’s community, created to support frontline workers during the Opioid CrisisMoms Stop The Harm: A network of Canadian families impacted by substance-use-related harms and deaths, which advocates to end substance use related stigma, harms and death.NA: Narcotics Anonymous Naloxone: A medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose.OAT: Opioid agonist therapyVIHA: Vancouver Island Health Authority (also referred to as Island Health)This episode was recorded on October 21, 2022.