Since the toxic drug poisoning crisis was declared a public health emergency in British Columbia in April 2016, more than 18,000 people have lost their lives. The crisis continues to disproportionately affect certain populations like Indigenous populations and individuals in trade occupations. There has been an increase in toxic drug supply related deaths among youth in 2025 compared to 2024 (BC Coroners Service, April 2026), yet less is understood about how it is experienced within college and university settings, and how it affects students. Understanding how the toxic drug poisoning crisis affects students has taken on increased urgency following the death of Sidney McIntyre-Starko, an 18-year-old first year student at the University of Victoria, who died in January 2024 after exposure to the toxic drug supply in residence (Inquest into UVic student overdose hears heart-wrenching testimony from mother). In response, the provincial government established a post-secondary task force and released guidelines directing institutions to strengthen overdose prevention and response measures.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University has partnered with Walk With Me, a community-based research project, to better understand how the toxic drug crisis is impacting students, staff and faculty on KPU campuses and in our communities. The project focuses on how the university can support members of its community who are affected, and how it can prepare students who are entering a world where this crisis continues. Walk With Me uses a methodology called Story Walks (see Karsten, 2023; Wideman et.al., 2024). Participants walk through a physical space (in our case, the physical space of KPU campuses) while listening to a curated audio track and then sit in circle and have a facilitated discussion reflecting on the stories of individuals impacted by the toxic drug supply. This format supports open and considered conversation in a way that differs from classroom or survey-based approaches.

The project at KPU is supported by an Irving K. Barber Endowment for Educational Opportunities Fund and the Office of the Provost, as well as funding from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada  The project is led by Dr. Tara Lyons in Criminology, in partnership with the Walk With Me team., The team  includes faculty and staff associated with Vancouver Island University,  KPU student research assistants, and is guided by an advisory committee composed of faculty, students, and people with lived and living experience of substance use. The project launched in Fall 2025 and has engaged participants across Surrey, Langley, and Cloverdale campuses. To date, 131 faculty and students have participated in the study.  Seven group Story Walk sessions and four one on one interviews have been completed, and additional sessions have been scheduled in response to strong interest. The research phase has been extended until Fall 2026 to allow for broader participation.

Data analysis will take place throughout Summer and Fall 2026 and will result in a research report and a KPU Story Walk audio track. The KPU Story Walk audio track will be used to raise awareness of the toxic drug supply’s impact on KPU students, staff and faculty. The track and accompanying walks will also aid in reducing stigma and opening the door to conversations about the toxic drug supply and harm reduction on campus. The findings will be shared with university leadership and the wider campus community through reports and presentations. There are currently three KPU student research assistants working on the team and their input and leadership will help ensure the findings of study and its recommendations are student centred. We are grateful to those who have shared their stories, and are grateful for the opportunity to do this work at KPU. Me – KPU Advisory Committee: Dr, Diane Purvey, Shalini Vanan, Natashia Pellatt and Camille Bédard.

Updated Infographic-WWM

References 

Karsten, S. (2023). Walk With Me: A community-engaged research response to the drug poisoning crisis. SFU Community Engaged Research Initiative. https://doi.org/10.25316/IR-20389

Wideman, T., Karsten, S., & The Walk With Me Team. (2024). Walk With Me: Reducing harm and confronting the toxic drug poisoning crisis in small British Columbia cities through community engaged research. Harm Reduction Journal, 21(1), 106. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-024-01022-w