SAFETY SHED OPENS ON 100VIC

On Mar. 15, 2026, 100 Victoria St. (100Vic) encampment celebrated the launch of the Safety Shed. It was erected by the Concerned People on Drug Use, a coalition of community members, drug users, advocates and loved ones of drug users. The grand opening event featured continued building of the shed, pizza, music, passionate speakers and a community-led discussion.  

“The Safety Shed will provide people who use drugs with a focal point where they can access and create programming that deals with the issues they are facing, inducing state attacks on their rights to medical services. It will also provide a warmer, safer place where community members can discuss, explore and strategize about solutions without fear of being stigmatized or criminalized,” the Concerned People on Drug Use said in a joint press release.  

“In fall 2023 we started seeing large quantities of xylazine going into the fentanyl supply, and more encampment residents were having worse experiences using drugs that they thought were unpoisoned, so the need grew,” Julian Ichim, a safety shed activist, said.   

Versions of the Safety Shed in tent form were used on Roos Island and then at 100Vic since the summer of 2022. The Safety Shed is a space where encampment residents can access harm reduction supplies, education and peer support in the community. The labour of many organizers and volunteers went into the building of the safety shed.   

“We have to fight for people, who have basic rights simply because they’re human. Not because we like them, not because we agree with them. Simply because they’re human,” Ichim said.   

The Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) at 150 Duke St. W. was closed on Mar. 31, 2025, due to Bill 223. It banned CTS sites from operating within 200 metres of certain types of schools and childcare centres. The CTS was co-operated by Sanguen Health Centre and the Region of Waterloo Public Health and Paramedic Services.  

“[The Safety Shed was proposed by] several members of the Alan Ryan People’s Community Defence Brigade with lived and living experience using substances in organized safety tents through the years, and the Safety Shed is also being organized with the Concerned People on Drug Use, a group of drug users and advocates,” Ichim said.   

The shed is in a prominent and accessible space in the encampment, chosen by the residents who will be using it. It will contain various harm reduction supplies, workshops, food and opportunities to learn about their rights.   

“The number of drug poisoning deaths has increased since the CTS was closed and the supply is becoming more toxic with sedatives like medetomidine in the mix. Harm reduction is a serious issue,” Ichim said.   

On Feb. 27, 2026, a community drug alert  was issued in Waterloo Region after 35 suspected drug overdoses and one drug-related death. Fentanyl samples were tested through Sanguen’s drug checking program and found other drugs like sedatives, veterinary tranquilizers and depressants.   

A common antidepressant shows promise in reducing methamphetamine use in a large Australian trial. The study indicates that mirtazapine led to fewer days of meth use over 12 weeks compared with placebo, offering a potential pharmacological option in the absence of approved medications. The findings suggest a direct effect on brain reward pathways beyond mood improvement.

This topic is of interest to psychology readers because it explores how existing medications can influence addictive behaviors and brain reward systems, contributing to understanding treatment approaches for substance use disorders.

Article Title: A common antidepressant shows promise in treating methamphetamine dependence

Link to PsyPost Article: https://www.psypost dot org/a-common-antidepressant-shows-promise-in-treating-methamphetamine-dependence/

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#methamphetamine #mirtazapine #substanceuse #psychopharmacology #addictiontreatment

New law shields California college students who seek help after overdosing

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.optimistdaily.com/2026/03/new-law-shields-california-college-students-who-seek-help-after-overdosing/

If you follow harm reduction or want to know more about the topic, you might enjoy this Medium article I wrote about how moralized narratives hurt recovery.

#HarmReduction #DrugPolicy #SubstanceUse #Substances #Drugs #Health #Healthcare #Canada #Politics #CdnPoli

https://medium.com/@thomas.embree/mental-illness-personal-crises-substance-use-a76a49e79a71