Angie Staines: A Mother's Fight for Safer Substance Use
Harm reduction understands that people may not be ready to stop using drugs ever, and that's okay, but they deserve to be alive.
Picture a mother on the streets of Edmonton, tirelessly working to support those battling addiction. This is Angie Staines, and her story is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. In this episode of 'Hard Knox Talks: Sober Stories. Real Talk.', Angie opens up about her personal journey with her son, Brandon, who struggles with substance use. Her experiences are a raw testament to the challenges faced by families in similar situations.
Angie's advocacy work is deeply rooted in her own life, especially after a harrowing incident where she found her son overdosing during one of her outreach missions. This episode dives into the complexities of harm reduction, the stigma surrounding addiction, and the often frustrating barriers to accessing treatment and support.
Angie's candid conversation sheds light on the urgent need for compassionate approaches to substance use, highlighting that everyone deserves a chance at life, regardless of their readiness to stop using drugs. It's a conversation filled with emotion, resilience, and a call for community support.