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4 changes: 2 additions & 2 deletions ubyssey/static_src/src/styles/queer-substance-abuse.scss
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span.quote {
font-family: "Roboto", system-ui;
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44 changes: 27 additions & 17 deletions ubyssey/templates/article/queer-substance-abuse.html
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<meta name="twitter:title" content="Substance use disproportionately impacts Queer communities. What does that mean for UBC students?">
<meta name="twitter:description" content="With high rates of substance use in Queer communities and BC’s ongoing toxic drug crisis, many Queer youth are left to navigate substance use and recovery on their own.">
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://storage.googleapis.com/ubyssey/media/renditions/i_janmohamed_elena_cover.original.jpg">

<!-- Google tag (gtag.js) -->
<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-M3D8SDLCGE"></script>
<script>
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
gtag('js', new Date());

gtag('config', 'G-M3D8SDLCGE');
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<article>
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<h1>Substance use disproportionately impacts Queer communities. <b>What does that mean for UBC students?</b></h1>
</header>
<p class="lede">
With high rates of substance use in Queer communities and BC’s ongoing toxic drug crisis, many Queer youth are left to navigate substance use and recovery on their own.
With high risk of substance (mis)use in Queer communities and BC’s ongoing toxic drug crisis, Queer youth are left to navigate substance use and recovery on their own.
</p>
<p class="byline">Words by <a href="https://ubyssey.ca/authors/iman-janmohamed/">Iman Janmohamed</a>, Webdesign by <a href="https://ubyssey.ca/authors/samlow/">Sam Low</a></p>
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<div class="quote">“No. I’m a teenager.<br>Teenagers are allowed to do this.”</div>
</div>
<p>
That’s what Sylvie, now a UBC graduate student, used to say to their friends as a 16-year-old when they would ask Sylvie to stop drinking. It started off innocently — a bunch of high schoolers having some drinks together, going through what seemed to be a rite of passage. But it soon became <span class="quote">“problematic,”</span> as Sylvie described it.
That’s what Sylvie, now a UBC graduate student, used to say to their friends as a 16-year-old when they would ask them to stop drinking. Their drinking started off innocently — a bunch of high schoolers having some drinks together, going through what seemed to be a rite of passage. But it soon became what Sylvie described as <span class="quote">“problematic.”</span>
</p>
<p>
<span class="quote">“I had people pulling me aside and being like, ‘Hey, do you want to maybe not be drunk all the time?’”</span> said Sylvie, whose name has been changed to protect their identity because of the stigma against substance use.
</p>

<div class="cover-screen fade-in-out">
<p>
When Sylvie started at UBC five years ago, they were <span class="quote">“forced back into being a teenager,”</span> since BC’s legal drinking age of 19 is higher than in other Canadian provinces.
When Sylvie was 18, they started their undergraduate degree at UBC. Sylvie said they were <span class="quote">“forced back into being a teenager,”</span> since BC’s legal drinking age of 19 is higher than in other Canadian provinces.
</p>
<p>
<span class="quote">“That made me do a bunch of crazy shit in order to get drunk or get high because I couldn't do it the normal way,”</span> they said. <span class="quote">“And then through that, I realized that maybe my relationship with substances is not normal or could use some re-evaluating.”</span>
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<div class="cover-screen fade-in-out">
<p>
Substance use can also impact Queer people's mental health. A 2021 survey by the <a href="https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/substance-use-and-suicide-risk-among-lgbtq-youth-jan-2022/">Trevor Project</a> — a US-based non-profit focused on suicide prevention efforts in Queer youth — found that misuse of alcohol, cannabis and prescription drugs are associated with greater odds of attempting suicide in 2SLGBTQIA+ youth <a href="https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2021/?section=Introduction">aged 13–24</a>. The primary results from the survey also found that:
Substance use can also impact Queer people's mental health. A 2021 survey by the <a href="https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/substance-use-and-suicide-risk-among-lgbtq-youth-jan-2022/">Trevor Project</a> — a US-based non-profit focused on suicide prevention efforts in Queer youth — found that misuse of alcohol, cannabis and prescription drugs are associated with greater odds of attempting suicide in 2SLGBTQIA+ youth <a href="https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2021/?section=Introduction">aged 13–24</a>. The primary results from the survey also found:
</p>
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</div>

<p>
With high rates of substance use in Queer communities, a lack of harm reduction resources for recovering Queer individuals and BC’s ongoing toxic drug crisis — which was declared a <a href="https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2016HLTH0026-000568">public health emergency</a> in 2016 — many Queer youth at UBC and around Vancouver are left to navigate substance use and recovery on their own.
With high rates of substance use in Queer communities and BC’s ongoing toxic drug crisis — which was declared a <a href="https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2016HLTH0026-000568">public health emergency</a> in 2016 — many Queer youth at UBC and around Vancouver are left to navigate substance use and recovery on their own.
</p>
</div>

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Goodyear, whose research explores the implications of substance use among 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, said these structural inequities like sexism, homophobia and transphobia, intersect individual concerns like familial rejection, domestic violence and mental illness to create circumstances that can lead to substance misuse.
</p>
<div class="pull-quote">
“I wasn't sitting there drinking because I was gay. It's just because there was something different [about me], and I didn't know what it was exactly.”
“I wasn't sitting there drinking because I was gay. It's just because there was something different [about me], and I didn't know what it was.”
<div class="attribution">— Sylvie</div>
</div>
<p>
Both Sylvie and Goodyear said their Queer peers can sometimes turn to substance use as a coping mechanism because of the hardships they face. For UBC psychology student Rory Mills, that was the case — they used substances to self-medicate their anxiety and depression.
Both Sylvie and Goodyear said their Queer peers can sometimes turn to substance use as a coping mechanism because of the hardships they face. For UBC alum Rory Mills, that was the case — they used substances to self-medicate their anxiety and depression.
</p>
<p>
<span class="quote">“I grew up [in] lot of very patriarchal environments. I was always told that I was a boy … so learning to find my own voice and my own story from within myself — it was different from other people's stories,”</span> said Mills.
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For Sylvie, substance use helped them cope with their feelings of isolation and difference.
</p>
<p>
<span class="quote">“I know for myself and for a lot of Queer people, substances help if you are closeted or you aren't sure about your sexuality or identity,”</span> said Sylvie. <span class="quote">“I wasn't sitting there drinking because I was gay. It's just because there was something different [about me], and I didn't know what it was exactly.”</span>
<span class="quote">“I know for myself and for a lot of Queer people, substances help if you are closeted or you aren't sure about your sexuality or identity,”</span> said Sylvie. <span class="quote">“I wasn't sitting there drinking because I was gay. It's just because there was something different [about me], and I didn't know what it was.”</span>
</p>
<p>
For Mills and Sylvie, recovery from substance use meant acknowledging who they are.
Mills and Sylvie said recovery from substance use meant acknowledging who they are.
</p>
<p>
<span class="quote">“As a Trans person, I realized that emotion … and recovery kind of felt like the same thing,”</span> Mills said.
</p>
<p>
The university environment doesn’t make this journey any easier. Binge drinking and other instances of substance misuse are often normalized in the college space at large. In a 2020 interview with The Ubyssey, UBC Psychiatry Professor Dr. Michael Krausz, who specializes in addiction, said university binge-drinking culture and increased stress levels could risk pushing students toward substance misuse or dependence.
The university environment doesn’t make this journey any easier. Both Sylvie and Mills said the university environment encourages substance misuse. In a 2020 interview with <i>The Ubyssey</i>, Dr. Michael Krausz, a UBC psychiatry professor specializing in addiction, said university binge-drinking culture and increased stress levels could risk pushing students toward substance misuse or dependence.
</p>
<p>
<span class="quote">“If you are totally stressed out and anxious, you may have problems [sleeping] and then you start drinking or taking benzodiazepines in the evening to calm down,”</span> he said.
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</div>

<p>
Goodyear said specific services like these that cater to Queer recovery are important.
Goodyear said specific services that cater to Queer recovery are important for 2SLGBTQIA+ recovery.
</p>
<p>
<span class="quote">“These programs can really be a safe haven and really meaningful place of support and belonging for folks who might not be able to find that community in the same way elsewhere,”</span> said Goodyear.
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Sylvie said many Queer spaces are <span class="quote">“very defined by substances or substance use.”</span>
</p>
<p>
<span class="quote">“Drinking and using while being Queer is great, but then being in recovery can be very challenging because there aren't a lot of spaces that cater to Queerness and recovery.”</span>
<span class="quote">“Being in recovery can be very challenging because there aren't a lot of spaces that cater to Queerness and recovery,”</span> said Sylvie.
</p>
<p>
For Mills, Queer recovery spaces like the SRC allowed them an <span class="quote">“infinite potential to be vulnerable.”</span>
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<div class="fade-in-out">
<p class="dropcap">
The <a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-38.8/">Controlled Drug and Substances Act</a> was introduced by the federal government in 1996 as the country’s drug control statute. On January 31, 2023, Health Canada granted BC a <a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/overdose/decriminalization">three-year exemption</a> to the act, allowing the decriminalization of small amounts of certain illicit substances, such as heroin, morphine, fentanyl, cocaine, meth and ecstasy (methamphetamine) for personal use in private spaces, shelters, outpatient addiction clinics, supervised consumption sites and drug-checking service locations across BC.
The <a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-38.8/">Controlled Drug and Substances Act</a> was introduced by the federal government in 1996 as Canada's drug control statute. On January 31, 2023, Health Canada granted BC a <a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/overdose/decriminalization">three-year exemption</a> to the act, allowing the decriminalization of small amounts of certain illicit substances, such as heroin, morphine, fentanyl, cocaine, meth and ecstasy for personal use in private spaces, shelters, outpatient addiction clinics, supervised consumption sites and drug-checking service locations across BC.
</p>
<p>
Under this exemption, adults possessing illicit substances in accordance with legislation will not be arrested, charged or have drugs seized from them. Instead, they will be offered health information and referred to treatment and support if requested, according to the <a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/overdose/decriminalization">provincial government website</a>.
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<div class="fade-in-out">
<p class="dropcap">
Now, Sylvie finds themself being the one Queer people go to while working at the SRC, as they continue to foster a sense of community and relatability for people like them. They — like all SRC peer support workers — are also trained Canadian Mental Health Association peer support workers.
Sylvie now finds themself, as a peer support worker and recovery meeting leader, a person Queer students can go to for support.
</p>
<p>
<span class="quote">“I'll often have someone say, ‘Listen, I've never told anyone this before, but I feel this thing, or I believe this thing or I do this thing,’ and I get to be like, ‘Oh my god, I do that too,’ and that relatability — the way that makes someone happy or makes them feel less alone — is the best part of my job,”</span> said Sylvie.
</p>
<p>
<span class="quote">“Queer people in recovery seem to like that there’s someone else Queer in recovery,”</span> said Sylvie. <span class="quote">“I’ve been in recovery for a really long time. Not that they should at all look up to me, I think that would be awful if they did, but that there is someone else who has done the thing that they're doing, who they can talk to about it and who would understand.”</span>
<span class="quote">“Queer people in recovery seem to like that there’s someone else Queer in recovery,”</span> said Sylvie. <span class="quote">“I’ve been in recovery for a really long time. Not that they should at all look up to me — I think that would be awful if they did — but that there is someone else who has done the thing that they're doing, who they can talk to about it and who would understand.”</span>
</p>
<p>
Like Sylvie, Mills also uses their lived experiences to inform harm reduction initiatives in Vancouver. Mills works at The Birdhouse, a Queer and Trans-run events space, as a buddy. Buddies are naloxone-trained and carry supplies like bottled water, condoms, lube, snacks and tampons to support people in a nightclub environment.
Like Sylvie, Mills also uses their lived experiences to inform harm reduction initiatives in Vancouver. Mills works at The Birdhouse, a Queer and Trans-run events space, as a buddy. Buddies are naloxone-trained staff and carry supplies like bottled water, condoms, lube, snacks and tampons to support people in a nightclub environment.
</p>
<div class="pull-quote">
“Immersing myself in the harm reduction world ... was really awesome to … integrate myself in the community, but also see how it positively affected my recovery.”
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<span class="quote">“I view [the buddy system] as our entrance to someone … not feeling good.”</span> said Mills. <span class="quote">“They're not just going to get kicked out by security. We're there to help and figure out things, help their friends get organized, but also respond to emergencies.”</span>
</p>
<p>
Along with carrying supplies, buddies can also step in if people are receiving unwanted attention or help people find a way home, according to a Birdhouse <a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/cheap-cheerful-summer-special-queer-dance-party-tickets-985973873397?aff=oddtdtcreator">event posting</a>.
Buddies also can help patrons find a safe way home, according to a Birdhouse <a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/cheap-cheerful-summer-special-queer-dance-party-tickets-985973873397?aff=oddtdtcreator">event posting</a>.
</p>
<p>
<span class="quote">“Immersing myself in the harm reduction world, also practicing harm reduction recovery on my own, was really awesome to … integrate myself in the community, but also see how it positively affected my recovery,”</span> said Mills.
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2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion ubyssey/urls.py
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re_path(r'^ads.txt$',ads_txt,name='ads-txt'),

# Special design articles
re_path(r'^features/queer-substance-abuse', TemplateView.as_view(template_name='article/queer-substance-abuse.html')),
re_path(r'^features/how-substance-use-impacts-queer-students', TemplateView.as_view(template_name='article/queer-substance-abuse.html')),
# re_path(r'^culture/special/self-isolation/', IsolationView.as_view(), name='special-isolation'),
# re_path(r'^(?P<section>culture)/(?P<slug>boredom-and-binging|in-full-bloom|temperature-checks|a-breath-of-fresh-air|paradise-found|under-water|healing-wounds|feeling-raw)/$', ArticleView.as_view()),
# re_path(r'^magazine/(?P<year>[0-9]{4})/$', magazine.magazine, name='magazine-landing'),
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