Unsilencing Stories
Previously, this podcast featured interviews with bereaved people in smaller communities in B.C. and Alberta who have lost loved ones to fatal opioid overdose. The project was facilitated by Aaron Goodman, Ph.D., faculty member at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey, B.C., and student researchers, Jenna Keeble and Ashley Pocrnich.
In this phase, we’re sharing interviews with seven harm reduction workers, also known as peers, in different parts of B.C. The B.C. Centre for Disease Control Harm Reduction Services defines harm reduction as “support services and strategies” that aim to keep people safe and minimize death, disease, and injury from high risk behaviour.”
Peers face a lot of challenges. This has been documented by many researchers, including Zahra Mamdani and colleagues in B.C. In their 2021 paper, they outline significant challenges peers face, including financial struggles, difficulty finding housing, and stressors at work.
We wanted to explore these themes with peers and find out more about their experiences and share this information with the public. So we conducted multiple remote interviews with harm reduction workers and invited them to talk about the stressors they face
The podcast is part of a research study led by Aaron Goodman and conducted under the auspices of the Chancellor’s Chair Award. Several researchers, including Caitlin Burritt, Chloe Burritt, and Giorgia Ricciardi, and a number of student research assistants played key roles in the study, and you’ll hear many of their voices in this podcast.
Unsilencing Stories
Episode 28: Peter Eugene in Cranbrook, B.C. Discusses his own Non-Fatal Opioid Overdose
In this episode, you will hear Joseph Unterschute and Peter Eugene speaking in Cranbrook, B.C. about Peter’s experience with his own non-fatal opioid overdose.
Jenna Keeble 00:00
Unsilencing Stories is a podcast that reflects the voices of people in small towns and communities in Canada, who have lost loved ones to the toxic drug supply crisis. Since 2016. More than 30,000 people have died from fatal overdoses in Canada and that number continues to climb. The risk in smaller towns and communities is much higher than urban areas because of a lack of harm reduction services, and stigma against substance use and people who use drugs. This podcast is part of a community based participatory research project facilitated by Aaron Goodman, Ph.D., a faculty member at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey, B.C., along with students Jenna Keeble and Ashley Pocrnich.
The aim was to assist collaborators in publicly memorializing their loved ones and expressing grief as well as challenging silences imposed by dominant media organizations and stigma from society against substance use and people who use drugs. We hope these nuanced stories make it clear why the government needs to be doing more to prevent further deaths. Please note this podcast contains information about overdose death, grief and trauma that may be distressing to listen to. In this episode, you'll hear Joseph Unterschute and Peter Eugene speaking in Cranbrook, B.C., about Peter’s experience with his own non-fatal opioid overdose.
Joseph 01:14
Tell me your first and last name.
Peter 01:17
Peter Eugene.
Joseph 01:19
Where do you live?
Peter 01:21
I live in Cranbrook, B.C.
Joseph 01:24
Is there one person you would like to speak about who died from an overdose?
Peter 01:30
Well, pretty much me.
Joseph 01:32
Their age?
Peter 01:34
42.
Joseph 01:35
What do you remember most about it?
Peter 01:37
It was a little scary. Waking up with paramedics and police and fire people and yeah, it was a little scary having a bunch of people looking over you. I pretty much was a loner. I didn't really have many people to talk to or stuff like that. It's really hard for me because I've been losing a lot of family members of just natural causes. And I've heard of a few of my family members dying of overdoses, but I was not around. I valued I realized my life, I'm happy I'm still alive. That's the biggest one.
Joseph 02:27
Personality?
Peter 02:29
Memes. Very nice talkative listener, good listener, try helping.
Joseph 02:35
What is a practical time you recall the deceased was joyful?
Peter 02:41
I try making people laugh and that's pretty much all I try doing. Just make sure everybody's having a good day. What was the deceased’s favorite color? Mine was black.
Joseph 02:56
That's not a color. That's a shade.
Peter 02:58
Well, that's my colour.
Joseph 03:03
Favourite flower?
Peter 03:06
I really don't have a favourite flower.
Joseph 03:09
Oh, a marijuana bud is.
Peter 03:15
Oh, that's my favorite.
Joseph 03:16
You do have a favorite flower.
Peter 03:17
Yeah. What type of music good the deceased listen to? Me, it was rap, country, rock and roll. Pretty much the 80s 90s music, ACDC, Ozzy Osbourne, Kiss, all those old boys. If I passed away, I just tell everybody don't cry over me, sit back have a few drinks, remember me in good ways, not the bad ways.
Jenna Keeble 03:55
That brings us to the end of this episode of the Unsilencing Stories podcast. To listen to more interviews in the series, please go to www.unsilencingstories.com, and if you'd like to share your thoughts on the episode, message us at unsilencingstories@gmail.com. Thank you so much for listening and please share the project with other people you know.