Survivor’s Guide to Opioids

I was asked by the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use to help with updating their guide on opioid use that was targeted to opioid users and their loved ones. The goal of the project was to create something that was not clinical in nature, could be visually engaging, and was written by those with experience with opioids and OAT (Opioid Agonist Treatment). 

After several months of remote work and a trip to the BCCSU’s office to meet some of the guide’s writers, the 83 page guide came to life with raw and colourful illustrations, hand drawn typography and a lot of useful information. The cover illustration was done by artist Hawkfeather Peterson, and I used their powerful imagery as my guiding inspiration for the rest of the handbook.

I feel incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work on something that aims to empower opioid users to get the information they’re entitled to while they face a world full of stigma that can often offer little support.

As of summer 2019, the handbook is available at various medical services providers around BC. You can read the online version on the BCCSU’s website.