THE J HEALTHCARE INITIATIVE
OUR MISSION
The J Healthcare Initiative wants to stop the toxic drug crisis by empowering drug users' healthcare choices. We want the policy to be evidence-based. We know everyone's story is different, so we support each person's own health decisions and goals. How we do this? Strategic policy advocacy, projects, direct outreach.
OUR VISION
A world where substance use healthcare is a norm, where supply of substances are regulated and upscaled, where people exercise their own freedom to choose their own substance without fear of being prosecuted or being put into rehab against their will. We envision a world where substance users and those who live with substance use addiction have all the resources that they need to live a fulfilling life regardless of their intentions to abstain from substances.
People use drugs
Accept that people choose to use drugs for different reasons.
Substance use is a spectum
Some people use every week, some use every hour
Stay Objective.
No fear mongering. Let's stick to science.
Challenge the Dogma.
You are worthy, abstinent or not.
The J Healthcare Initiative Pledge: Promoting Incremental Enhanced Care to end the Failing Drug Policy.
The J Healthcare Initiative pledges to advocate tirelessly for expanded legal and regulated access to a range of regulated supply options for people who use drugs, including pharmaceutical-grade opioids and stimulants in inhalable, injectable, and oral formulations. We believe that everyone should have the right to access the drugs they need in a manner that minimizes health risks and harms, without fear of criminal penalties.
We will fight until we establish a robust infrastructure for low-barrier, non-coercive prescribed supply programs to be considered standard healthcare provisions in Canada and the United States, integrated with comprehensive addiction treatment, harm reduction, housing and social support services. This should include access to opioid agonist therapies such as diacetylmorphine, hydromorphone, and buprenorphine/naloxone, as well as stimulant therapies such as prescribed benzoylmethylecgonine, methylphenidate, and dextroamphetamine, among other options.
Our advocacy will be grounded in the principles of human rights, scientific evidence, and decolonization. We recognize that the war on drugs is a tool of colonialism and systemic racism that has inflicted immense harm on Indigenous peoples and communities of colour. We pledge to centre the voices, experiences, and leadership of Indigenous peoples, young people who use drugs in our work.
We fight to dismantle the colonial systems of criminalization and prohibition that perpetuate the drug poisoning crisis. In its place, we will advocate for an approach rooted in Indigenous sovereignty, cultural safety, and traditional healing practices. We will work to ensure that substance use healthcare respect the inherent right of Indigenous peoples to self-determine their own health and wellness approaches.
The J Healthcare Initiative stands in solidarity with Indigenous peoples in demanding an end to the racist, colonial, war on drugs and the ongoing legacy of discrimination. We commit to being allies in the fight for Indigenous rights, land back, and sovereignty. Together, we will work towards a future where all people who use drugs have access to a safe, regulated supply are treated with dignity and respect
FORMER VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHT
My name is Rachid
I'm very interested in community-centered projects, especially those focused on harm reduction. I'm really impressed with the JHI's commitment to meeting people where they are and am eager to contribute to the JHI's life-saving programs.
