Deb is the mother of Ola, a PWUD, who used drugs for eight years and tragically died of an overdose in 2015. Ola used alcohol, marijuana, opioids (heroin), and stimulants (meth). Ola was charged with drug-related assault and fraud charges, and her past negative interactions with police, fear about future charges for drug use, and concern about stigmatization from doctors, all restricted her from accessing medical treatment and harm reduction for her drug use. Ola died from a preventable overdose, when she used in the presence of another PWUD who was too scared to seek immediate help.

Deb advocates for PWUDs and their families with the group Moms Stop the Harm. She is frustrated that tens-of-thousands of Canadian PWUDs have died of preventable overdoses since Ola’s death. She sees provision of a safe supply of drugs (free from criminal consequences for PWUDs) and reduction in fear of policing and stigmatization from drug charges, which deter PWUDS from seeking harm reduction, as key elements to stopping these frequent overdose deaths. Deb hopes that the Drug Decriminalization action reduces these continually increasing deaths and prevents PWUDs and their families from the pain and suffering Ola and she endured from Ola’s difficult personal circumstances and death.