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