Angie Staines on educating about drug safety at the Wildrose Castle Jam

4B Harm Reduction, founded by Angie Staines, is a non-profit organization out of Edmonton that does street outreach, educates about safe drug usage, and holds events to bring the community together.

On June 28, they held the Wildrose Castle Jam at Castle Downs skatepark. A jam is a skateboarding event, where skaters get together and skate wherever the jam is. This one had bands playing in the park’s bowl, educational materials in the gazebo beside the park, and a ton of people enjoying the music, weather, and the overall vibe. 

“4B originally started as an inner city project coming out of those high needs areas here in Edmonton,” Staines said. And while a majority of the group’s work is going into high risk areas and providing harm reduction services to those in need. Staines said “we also do our education. This [the Wildrose Castle Jam] is the education side of it.”

Staines explained that skateparks are often a hub for drug usage, as it was for her growing up. Holding the event in the skatepark was to provide educational and harm-reducing materials to youth who may need it, but also to create a safe space for them, Staines said. 

Another goal is to reduce the stigma associated with drug usage. “Sometimes it does become problematic and sometimes it doesn’t. We just want people to feel safe and we want to be that safe space to ask questions and make sure people are getting the right information,” Staines said. 

One main issue Staines is looking to educate about is cut drugs. “When I was buying coke, it was coke. So if anyone overdosed it was because they took too much. And that’s not the reality today,” Staines said. 

“People die when they’re pushed into the background. When you bring them in and out, you can see a weight taken off their shoulders,” Staines says

In the gazebo at the event was a table with education pamphlets, drug testing strips, and volunteers to educate anyone interested. “Those strips save lives. I hope all these kids are going ‘I can reach out to 4B and they’ll send me the stuff I need to stay safe,’ and they’ll go on being able to live the next day,” Staines added.

The event, Staines said, by bringing Edmonton’s biggest underground scene to the forefront, also brings people at risk to the forefront. “People die when they’re pushed into the background. When you bring them in and out, you can see a weight taken off their shoulders,” she said. 

This event, as a whole, is harm reduction through building connection, Staines said. “You can offer people housing and all these things, but if you don’t have connection, it’s harder to be successful. We all need community.”

“We used to get kicked out of downtown all the time. Having spaces like this, this skatepark, this is harm reduction. This creates community for people who may not be safe at home or may not be feeling great about themselves. They can come out here to be outside in the sun, hear the music, see everybody having a good time, and just feel the vibes,” Staines said. 

Staines noted that since the United Conservative Party (UCP) “really dismantled harm reduction,” it’s more important to educate and support drug users who “don’t necessarily need to be in drug recovery. Harm reduction and recovery aren’t the same. Harm reduction gives people back the autonomy that the system has stripped away.”

To students and those looking to work in industries like media, Staines said “we need to change our language. Let’s not say addicts anymore, it’s so stigmatized.” But also, talk to those around us. “In some institutions we’ve encouraged party culture. We need to talk about drug testing and what the drug supply looks like,” she added. 

You can learn more, or volunteer with 4B Harm Reduction on their website.