Why B.C. drug deaths are down as overdoses hit record high

published on July 14, 2026 by Andrew Johnson in CTV News

VANCOUVER – If there is an expert in how incredibly difficult it can be for an addict to get off drugs, it is Guy Felicella, who spent close to 20 years on Vancouver’s notorious Downtown Eastside.

“Struggling with addiction, homelessness, and being brought back to life six times,” he said.

Today, Felicella is a suburban family man, after putting in more than a decade of work he says started at a supervised consumption site, where he was given a bus ticket to a treatment centre.

“The commitment to change is not just getting off the drugs, it’s about creating a new life where it’s easier not to use those drugs and dealing with the reasons why you used those drugs in the first place,” Felicella said…