The Opioids Crisis with Guy Felicella

The Multi-Hazards Podcast

The opioids crisis is ravaging our communities. How can we all respond in a better, savvier way? Join Guy Felicella, addiction educator, harm reduction advocate and public speaker, and Multi-Hazards podcast host Vin Nelsen as they discuss how Canada, the US and the world can work smarter in dealing with opioids and all addiction “pandemics” that we face. Have a listen!

Study Guide only at this link at the left labelled "PDF": https://multi-hazards.libsyn.com/the-opioids-crisis-with-guy-felicella

Guy Felicella's Bio

Named in The 2020 Vanmag Power 50 and recipient of the 2021 Courage to Come Back Award, Guy is a qualified expert who devotes his time and career to public speaking and advocating to reduce the stigma of harm reduction and educate on drug policy and addiction.

Guy Felicella grew up in a middle class home in Richmond, BC, Canada but fell into drug addiction at a young age. Guy spent 30 years in the repeated cycle of gangs, addiction, treatment and jail. He spent nearly 20 years residing in the two block radius in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, Canada, and using many resources, including harm reduction, to keep himself alive.

Today, Guy has escaped the grips of the turmoil that kept him suffering and resides with his wife and three young children with multiple years of recovery and sobriety under his belt.

Guy is passionate about advocating for the vulnerable people who still suffer in addiction and educating communities on harm reduction to eliminate the stigma that exists around it. Currently Guy works for Vancouver Coastal Health, Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction and the BC Centre on Substance Use. In addition, Guy attends various school districts and post secondary institutions to educate students on addiction.

Guy spent nearly his entire life suffering in addiction and now he is using his experience to change the hearts and minds of people to the idea that recovery is harm reduction and harm reduction is recovery. Gone are the days where it’s either harm reduction or recovery; it’s both!

Guy Felicella’s website is at http://guyfelicella.com. Guy’s photo and biography are from here.

Outro: "Modern Time" by An Jone on Youtube Audio Library Episode Photos: Photo by Hennie Stander on Unsplash, photo from Guy Felicella’s website, photo by Pablo Heimplatz on Unsplash, photo by Colin Davis on Unsplash