Vancouver Lost a Legendary Drug-User Activist in Dave Murray

published on May 12, 2020 by Guy Felicella and Dean Wilson in Filter Magazine

As drug-user activists, we often lose a couple friends each month. This month has been particularly sad, with the passing of Dave Murray. Dave is a legend, in our circles and far beyond. His activism pushed drug policy forward in important ways, not just in Vancouver but in North America. So we felt it only right to let other people know who he was.

Dave was more than an activist; he was a believer in other people’s wellbeing. He was a friend to many, he didn’t judge people for using or not using, and he understood both sides of the struggles of substance use. He liked to remind people that not everyone who uses drugs is addicted—that most are not.

Dave was well known for reading a daily newspaper without fail, and for being someone who would always show up for you. That’s an important quality when you’re fighting for the rights of others, especially through the regulation of drugs…