About this talk
“We know that if recovery is ever going to happen, we have to keep people alive”. When it comes to combatting drug use, Mark Tyndall believes sanctions aren’t enough, and that they sometimes hurt more than they help. As Executive Medical Director for the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Mark has come to see the importance of providing drug users with all different types of support.
From supervised injection sites to methadone clinics, Mark has been an early adopter and leader of various harm reduction efforts in Vancouver, BC. Tune in to his 2017 TEDMED Talk to learn more about how these models have not only saved lives, but have also become the first step to recovery for many suffering from drug addiction.
About Mark Tyndall
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Mark Tyndall is a public health physician and a leading expert on drug policy and harm reduction. He has dedicated his career to studying HIV, poverty, and drug use in cities around the world, from Nairobi to Vancouver. As a strong believer in harm reduction, Mark was a key figure in the establishment of INSITE in Vancouver in 2003, which was the first legally sanctioned supervised injection facility in North America. This site and others like it have been proven to save lives, prevent the spread of diseases, and help people access addiction treatment. Mark is a proponent of using scientific evidence to create better public health policies. He has authored over 250 academic papers and is currently a professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health. Since stepping down from his role at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, he has become a leading advocate for a safe supply of drugs to combat the ongoing opioid overdose crisis. His work continues to be at the forefront of efforts to create compassionate and effective policies for people who use drugs.
