A message from the Office of Students
The BC government ended its illicit substances decriminalization pilot project on January 31, 2026. This means possession of any amount of illicit substances is once again illegal in BC outside of exempt areas such as supervised consumption sites. We wanted to address how this change might affect substance use and harm reduction measures at Vancouver Island University.
Student health and safety remain our top priority. We take our role in supporting your health and well-being very seriously and remain committed to our Overdose Prevention and Response Plan. The policies outlined in this plan are not changing. We continue to encourage anyone experiencing a suspected overdose to seek help immediately by calling 911. If you call for emergency assistance, you will not face disciplinary action for drug or alcohol use at that time. Your decision to act could save a life and we are here to support you without judgement or penalty.
The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act also offers legal protections to anyone who seeks emergency help during an overdose. This includes the person experiencing the overdose, the person who calls for help, anyone who stays at the scene and even those who leave before first responders arrive. These protections cover simple drug possession charges, so you can call 911 without fear of legal and/or VIU sanctioned consequences. Please don’t hesitate – making the call could save someone’s life.
We also urge you to bookmark VIU’s Substance Use and Overdose Prevention website. The website includes information on how to recognize an overdose, what to do, where naloxone and AED kits are located across campus, and upcoming naloxone education and training events. The next session, sponsored by VIUSU, is on Monday, February 9. For more information and to register for the session, please visit VIUSU’s Naloxone & Harm Reduction Training website.
If you have any questions, please contact OfficeofVPStudents@viu.ca.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Russell
Vice-President, Students
Irlanda Gonzalez Price
Associate Vice-President, Student Affairs
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