As communities across the region prepare to mark the 25th anniversary of International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, Island Health is launching a community version of its Caring Conversations Cards, a resource designed to help people talk openly about substance use, reduce stigma and build understanding.
Originally developed for Island Health staff, the cards have been adapted for public use and can be used at home, in workplaces and in community settings to encourage meaningful conversations about substance use and harm reduction.
The idea for a community version of the cards gained momentum when members of the Cowichan Community Action Team (CAT) saw the original staff resource and recognized its potential to support awareness and education beyond health care settings.
Dianne Hinton coordinator of the Cowichan Coalition to End Homelessness and a member of the Cowichan CAT, says the concept quickly resonated with CAT members.
“We were impressed and began exploring how a similar tool could be adapted to support education and foster understanding within the broader community,” says Hinton. “The concept of a customized deck—designed to spark meaningful conversations in settings such as workplace staff meetings—quickly gained strong support.”
The community adaptation was led by University of Victoria nursing students Samantha Hall and Erin Hardy during their fourth-year placements at Island Health. Working alongside community partners, including the Cowichan Community Action Team and Moms Stop the Harm, they helped revise the cards to reflect community needs and experiences.
Hall says, “Our goal was to keep the core principles of harm reduction, cultural humility, and trauma-informed practice, while making the cards more accessible for community members. It was a collaborative process—we listened closely to feedback from community partners and people with lived experience, and refined the language to make it clearer, more relatable, and easier to engage with.”
While people may want to talk about substance use, they may not always be sure how to begin. The cards are designed to help break that silence by encouraging reflection, curiosity and discussion in everyday settings.
Beth Haywood, Island Health's Peer Project Coordinator, says simple conversations can play an important role in building understanding and reducing stigma.
“Keep these cards on your coffee table or kitchen counter. When friends and family visit, get curious and start asking questions. That’s exactly the point,” says Haywood. “We need to normalize conversations about substance use. Don’t be afraid to talk about it. These cards can help.”
Harm Reduction Coordinator Tracey Thompson acknowledges that conversations about substance use can feel uncomfortable, but says they are an important step toward reducing stigma and supporting people affected by the toxic drug crisis.
“The unregulated, toxic drug crisis continues to have a devastating impact on our communities,” says Thompson. “These conversations can feel difficult, but they are critical. These cards provide a simple way to start honest conversations. By opening the door to honest dialogue, we can reduce stigma and help save lives.”
Community organizations are already finding ways to incorporate the cards into their work. Chris Rafuse, Executive Director of a Cowichan-based brain injury support society, Brain on Wheels Rehab Society, plans to use the cards with adults at the highest risk of overdose and death due to the unregulated drug supply.
“I intend to use the Caring Conversations Cards in peer circles alongside a talking stick,” says Rafuse. “I see great potential for the card deck to deepen sharing and provide an approach facilitators and peers can learn and replicate.”
Local 2026 IOAD Activities
Starting August 24, purple chairs will be stationed at 12 Island Health service and partner locations across the region. These memorial exhibits will include information and resources, purple ribbon pins, and flower seeds to plant in memory of a loved one. People may also honour a loved one on a digital memory wall. Island Health staff will be distributing bookmarks to other workers, peers, community members, to honour their work and support.
Island Health continues to build a stronger, more connected continuum of substance use care for people across the region. Funded through the B.C. Government’s Road to Recovery model, new and expanded services, including Access Central, Inlet Recovery Home in Port Alberni, and substance use beds in Victoria and other communities are helping reduce gaps in care. Additional improvements are expected in future.
Since the unregulated, toxic drug crisis was officially declared a public health emergency in B.C. in April 2016, more than 3,231 people have died due to drug poisoning in the Island Health region.
Take action
- Download a digital version of the Caring Conversation Cards
- Order a Caring Conversation Card Deck by emailing harmreduction@islandhealth.ca. While supplies last.
To better understand the effect of substances on our health through data and history, visit the 2024 Chief Medical Health Officer Report website.
Health care supports
Crisis support is available 24/7. Get support now.
Talk to a health care team about drug or alcohol use challenges for yourself or on someone’s behalf, by calling the new Access Central line at 1-888-885-8824 from 9 a.m. – 7:30 p.m., seven days a week.
Harm reduction services, such as drug checking and following toxic drug text alerts, help people lower their risk of harm, injury and death.