Homeless In Vancouver The Organs Of U.S. Drug Overdose Victims Are Saving Thousands Of Lives

The spiralling death rate from opioid overdoses across the United States appears to be dramatically increasing the supply of organs for transplant, as organ donations from victims of drug overdoses have skyrocketed.

According to NPR, in the state of New England the percentage of organs donated annually by overdose donors has increased more than sixfold in six years, with overdose donors accounting for four percent of donated organs in 2010, 19 percent in 2015, and 27 percent in 2016 (as of August 31).

In human terms, that works out to 790 organ donations from deceased drug users in the first eight months of 2016, compared with 341 in all of 2010.

Nationally the increase is lower but still dramatic. According to the NPR story quoted above, the percentage of all organs donated in the U.S. annually by overdose donors increased fourfold in six years, from four percent in 2010, to 12 percent over the first eight months of 2016.

U.S. organ donations in 2015 increased five percent over 2014, according to the Washington Post, which also cites government data showing that one out of every 11 organ donors in the United States is now a drug overdose victim.

When combing through the many U.S. media reports of this “silver lining” to the escalating opioid overdose crisis, it is not always clear what geographical level the various quoted numbers cover—whether a single hospital, a city, a state or the entire nation.

What is perfectly clear however, is that the ongoing tragedy of fatal drug overdose deaths is being seen as something of a godsend by the U.S. organ transplant system.

bit.ly/2EMJrn6 via @georgiastraight

Wayne Moriarty Sobriety Needs More Investment During The Fentanyl Crisis

To date, more than $40 million has been spent by government departments in British Columbia on the fentanyl crisis. On Tuesday, Vancouver city council approved a tax increase of 0.5 per cent on all homeowners in order to further assist in this fight. The tax is expected to raise approximately $3.5 million next year, with most of the money going to all the predictable resources required when “harm reduction” is your guiding principle.

bit.ly/2QVLEiR via @theprovince

A History Of Prostitution In Early Vancouver

When Florence Mackenzie came to Vancouver in 1894 to set up a brothel, prostitution in the city was openly conducted in a designated area, or red light district, in Chinatown. Five years later, an attempted murder helped to end Mackenzie’s operation. Soon the authorities would chase the red light district out of Chinatown and into other neighbourhoods. By the time war broke out in 1914, the city had outlawed prostitution altogether, forcing it underground.

bit.ly/2ENXqJl via @Forbidden_Tour

Reading The Minds Of NDP MPs In The Wake Of A Pipeline Announcement

Sometimes, it's fun to imagine what people are thinking when they're being photographed.

Take this image above, which showed up on Vancouver East NDP MP Jenny Kwan's Twitter feed.

Kwan wrote underneath: "NDP MPs stand united with British Columbians who oppose the #KinderMorgan decision & have been betrayed by the PM".

But what was really on their minds?

bit.ly/2FgBdUS via @georgiastraight

UBC Grad Student To Develop Surveillance System To Track Rodent Population

If you’re wondering whether Vancouver’s rat population is increasing or decreasing, keep wondering. At least for now.

It’s difficult to pin down their numbers because there’s no systematic surveillance of rats — a situation that could change in coming years as UBC grad student Michael Lee prepares to fill the gap by designing a rat surveillance program.

bit.ly/2R2iYt8 via @VanCourierNews

B.C. Condo Marketer Bob Rennie Accused Of Advance Knowledge Of Foreign Real Estate Buyer Tax

The B.C. NDP is accusing the province's top condo marketer, Bob Rennie, of getting advance notice on a new 15-per cent tax on foreign homebuyers — but Rennie is adamantly denying the allegation.

In a letter to Premier Christy Clark, Eby said it was "easy to speculate" why the government would do such a thing: Rennie is the chair of the B.C. Liberals' fundraising committee but also the so-called "Condo King" and an influential real estate marketer.

"This information is highly valuable," Eby said on Tuesday. "He's almost uniquely positioned to profit from the information, [which] raises a whole lot of questions: who told Mr. Rennie, did he use the information, did he act on it, did he tell anyone else?"

bit.ly/2Tg9UkG via @CBCNews ‏

Global BC Anchor Chris Gailus Accused Of Sexual Harassment

One of B.C.'s most well-known broadcasters has been accused of sexually harassing his former makeup artist.

Chris Gailus, co-anchor of Global BC's News Hour at 6, has been named in documents filed with the Canadian Human Rights Commission alleging harassment.

Documents filed on behalf of Dawne Koke claim that Gailus made inappropriate comments to the makeup artist over a period of seven years.

bit.ly/2Ej2c1b via @CTVVancouver

Gregor Robertson Warns Vancouver's Economy At Risk Due To Housing Prices

Gregor Robertson says recent reports and recommendations from banks, organizations, real estate boards and economists has made it clear to him that it's time to deal with Vancouver's sky-rocketing real estate prices or the city's economy could suffer.

On Sunday he released a statement amplifying his support for a house flipping tax as a measure to reduce speculation and a luxury sales tax to help, "rein in the excesses of Vancouver's housing market."

"First and foremost, housing needs to be for homes, not just treated as a commodity," said the statement.

Robertson has found convergence from multiple sources, all calling for something to be done about the state of prices for housing. This week the price tags for detached houses were shown to have increased 37 per cent since last year according to Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver.

"These trends are not sustainable and we need to be wide awake to the risks they pose to the stability of our economy, let alone the impact they have in pushing local residents, especially young people, families, and seniors, out of our neighbourhoods," said Robertson.

bit.ly/2NswCAG via @CBCNews ‏

Heroin, Crack, Cocaine - Behind The Curtain, Vancouver's Back Alleys - S1E14

The real life behind tourism brochures and picture perfect magazines. This is the REAL Vancouver, you don't get to see, behind the curtain, away from innocent eyes.

Disclaimer: This video is in no way trying to ridicule or make fun of the people in Downtown Eastside, but trying to raise awareness to the issue and show the world what it's really like on the streets of Vancouver. The more people know about this existing issue, the more pressure there is on the government to act on it.

bit.ly/2EefJqC via @YouTube @vesokedotcom

Everything You Didn't Want To Know About Vancouver's Rats

The Vancouver rat population is adaptable, family-oriented, and growing, according to the city’s pest control companies. But rats aren’t just a problem for those who live in close proximity to open sewers and closed businesses. According to Chelsea Himsworth, head researcher with the Vancouver Rat Project, “the health risks that rats bring are always there, whether you’re in Shaughnessy or the Downtown Eastside.” And, yes, rats may even be patrons of your favourite restaurant too—the leftovers, anyways.

bit.ly/2CNxkoN via @vanmag_com

How BC’s Fentanyl Crisis Became A Public-Health Emergency

In the summer of 2012, a forensic toxicologist from the B.C. Coroner's Service examined a blood sample to help determine the cause of death in a case that pointed to a drug overdose. He was asked to look for lethal levels of OxyContin, but he made a surprising find: The culprit was fentanyl, which at that time was not known as a street drug in Canada.

tgam.ca/2RyE0iA via @globeandmail

‘You Need To Clean This Up’ Snoop Dogg Not Impressed With Vancouver’s DTES – BC

Rapper Snoop Dogg was in Vancouver over the weekend and used his Instagram account to voice some of his frustrations with the city.

In a video posted to his Instagram account, Snoop appears to be in a car driving in the Downtown Eastside, talking about how he was “hassled” at the border when entering Canada.

He seemed baffled by the fact that he gets questioned at the border when the Vancouver has “an alley where they pass out needles to do heroin at.”

He then proceeds to say “y’all need to raise up off me Canada.”

He ends his video with “this is terrible.”

bit.ly/2QQf1b6 via @globalnews

Federal Funding Puts Pressure On B.C. Health Care

VICTORIA — B.C. was disappointed by the lack of money and detail for health care in last week’s federal budget, says the province’s health minister.

Terry Lake said Wednesday that he had expected to see the federal government mention the shared health agenda that federal, provincial and territorial leaders had agreed upon in December, along with some of the $3 billion over four years that the federal Liberals had promised for improved home care.

“I guess I’m somewhat disappointed we didn’t see any reference to that in the budget,” Lake said in an interview.

“I think from their point of view, they are waiting for us to develop the shared agenda a little more completely before committing funding. But you can’t really have one without the other.

“It’s hard for our ministries to put in the effort and work required to create a shared agenda if we don’t see a commitment of money there. So far, other than the [Liberal Party of Canada] platform, we haven’t seen it come to reality in a budget.”

bit.ly/2EcMFQ7 via @VancouverSun

Rundown Murray Hotel Passes City Of Vancouver Inspection

Property manager says government support needed for private owners committed to low income tenants

The Murray Hotel has passed a City of Vancouver inspection over violations which included dismantled fire alarms, graffiti in bathrooms and clutter in rooms.

But the building's property managers say more government support is needed for private owners to maintain low rents and old buildings.

"We absolutely need to be thinking about the government assisting better in these supportive housing and low income properties," said Adam Glover, a director of operations for Atira Property Management.
Hot water restored

The Murray Hotel is owned by real estate developer Kenstone Properties. But Glover notes that the building does not receive any form of operating subsidies, operating instead on the revenues it generates from tenants.

He said the 87-suite building has a handful of double occupancy rooms which fetch $800 a month, but the average rent for the rest of the single room occupancy suites is $447.

bit.ly/2EevZrJ via @CBCNews