Public Health
Capitalism has made us sicker - the human cost and what’s next
Policy Goal
Like all large cities Vancouver must mitigate the destructive public health impacts of unchecked capitalism - from climate change, infectious and chronic disease, and the toxic drug crisis to the profound psychological and physical damage of housing and food insecurity. To that end, we must create evidence-based legislation around substances that allows for their safe sale and use by adults while minimizing harm; we must expand access to mental health and addiction support services; we must designate facilities that will be used as community muster points in cases of extreme weather events and develop an emergency communication plan to inform Vancouverites of deadly weather events; we must ensure the city is prepared to address current and future pandemics and public health crises to limit viral infections and deaths by developing work-from-home and at-home-learning strategies and mandating ASHRAE pandemic air quality standards in all Vancouver buildings.
Pathways to Change
Establish an independent Public Health Advisory Committee / Science Table, Health Department, and Medical Health Officer under the Vancouver Charter for greater local control over public health evidence-informed policy and programs;
Provide fitting stations throughout the city for a free N95 mask for all Vancouver citizens;
Implement a goal of minimal transmission of airborne viruses (like SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza) through improved access and frequency of testing in addition to other elimination measures guided by best public health best practices;
Follow current scientific evidence and recommendations regarding indoor air quality and ventilation, mask-wearing, and testing and tracing programs for SARS-CoV-2 transmission, with support for affected individuals and families;
Mandate ASHRAE indoor air quality standards in all public buildings, achieved through HVAC upgrades, air purifiers, and other scientifically supported methods, and provide incentives for installing CO2 monitors and publicly visible displays showing real-time readings;
Establish a non-mandatory school vaccine program to include SARS-CoV-2 vaccines; and regular rapid testing program in schools and workplaces, as established in other jurisdictions (e.g. Europe);
Mandate covered outdoor spaces such as courtyards in large new buildings, to allow for meetings and socializing while minimizing risk of transmission of airborne viruses;
Add more gender-neutral, accessible, and safe public washrooms throughout the city;
Prioritize building public and co-op housing units in areas with significant tree canopies (e.g. Shaughnessy) to provide shade and heat mitigation, as well as reducing health harms from exhaust and particulate matter originating from vehicle traffic on major arterial roads;
Establish maximum temperatures for units similar to minimum temperatures as a health and safety issue, to be enforced under the municipal business license system, with private buildings that repeatedly offend to be seized and converted to public housing;
Provide air conditioners or heat pumps to all renters living in city-owned rental buildings;
Advocate for decriminalization of, and end the enforcement of anti-scientific laws against, dispensaries selling demonstrably effective therapeutic drugs such as psychedelics (e.g. psilocybin);
Develop non-violent, community and peer-led, evidence-based mental health crisis response services that do not require the involvement of armed police;
Provide the preventative, relational, and trauma-informed crisis response tools that are necessary for Vancouver residents to respond to mental health needs in their networks and communities; and increase access to treatment facilities (and beds);
Procure and distribute a safe supply of various drugs;
Expand accessible and safe locations for drug testing in all Vancouver neighbourhoods and increase access to home-based drug testing kits; strive for zero (0) percent overdose deaths in the city;
Work to amend Federal Legislation to better enable the scale-up of services such as Supervised Injection Facilities (SIF), while at the same time implement and evaluate models that are more responsive to the needs of persons who use drugs (PWUD) such as safe injection sites and peer-run models throughout Vancouver neighbourhoods;
Increase supply of treatment and detox beds to improve accessibility, while ensuring cultural appropriateness;
Expand access to MDMA, ketamine, kratom, and related drugs for therapeutic purposes such as supervised therapy;
Expand physical and online access to culturally appropriate and accessible sexual health services, including Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) testing;
Support the demands of the BC Reproductive Justice Manifesto, including: make abortion accessible within the City of Vancouver’s Access without Fear/Sanctuary City policy framework, which allows undocumented people to access free care; make contraception free and universally accessible; ensure that comprehensive sex education is taught to the standards set by the Ministry of Education in BC; prohibit funding or tax credits to Crisis Pregnancy Centres and require them to clearly disclose their anti-abortion agenda; make sexual and reproductive health care more trans and gender inclusive; provide meaningful additional funding to public abortion providers;
Develop collaborative gardening, co-living spaces, and community adaptation for regeneration and resilience;
Build community neighbourhood hubs for mutual aid, community events, garden and tool sharing, garbage cleanup, wellness checks, and delivery of food, medications, and supplies to vulnerable, housebound people.
Resources
Note: The resources on each of our policy pages are a starting point for learning about various issues and organizations doing work in these areas. This is not a comprehensive list and VOTE Socialist is not affiliated with the organizations listed here. We hope that these resources will help you reflect on and consider community engagement with the pathways to change suggested. We organize and lead with courage not fear, with transformative vision not limits. Vote on October 15!
Review some City public health services and know many more are needed in all Vancouver neighbourhoods:
Community mental health services
Downtown Community Health Service (604) 255-3151 http://www.vch.ca/Locations-Services/result?res_id=1360
Since 2008 - find out how the First Nations Health Authority can help: https://www.fnha.ca/Documents/FNHA-Vancouver-Coastal-Regional-First-Nations-Health-and-Wellness-Plan-2016-2021.pdf
First Nations Health Authority
Learn how the Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction Society helps Indigenous people resist cultural extinction:
WAHRS - Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction Society - Home | Facebook
Read and listen to powerful journalism getting to the heart of the matter: Crackdown Podcast
Learn about the Drug User Liberation Front and the important work they do: DULF
At Insite harm reduction works to save lives: http://www.vch.ca/locations-services/result?res_id=964
At PACE harm reduction works to save lives:
Get your drugs tested and save a life: Drug checking
Learn how the Pacific AIDS Network collectively helps to determine the best practices for Indigenous persons living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis C virus: https://paninbc.ca/
Learn how the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) offers peer support and education:
Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users
We support science education for everyone - check out the latest from Microbe.TV and learn more about viruses, bacteria, parasites, evolution, immunology and neuroscience:
https://mtvnewsletter.s3.amazonaws.com/MTV_newsletter_v1i2.pdf
Keep informed about the SARS-CoV-2 virus (Covid-19) pandemic and learn how to reduce its spread:
Summary of evidence supporting COVID-19 public health measures - Canada.ca
Consider these five (5) ways to lower your risk of getting a SARS-CoV-2 infection: https://protectbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/UPDATED-April-2022-with-RATS-Corrected-5-ways-to-lower-your-risk-of-getting-covid-19.pdf