As a mother, Pamela Young slept with her cell phone ringer on loud for years, both waiting for, and dreading, the worst call a parent could receive.

Her 32-year-old son Glenn Jr. passed away from an overdose last June. He is one of nearly 7,000 British Columbians who have died of overdose since 2016 when the overdose public health emergency was declared. He left behind not only his mother but also a partner and four children under the age of six.

“Because Glenn Jr struggled with substances, he felt very judged and carried around a lot of shame,” said Pam.  “We need to support people and treat them equally, without judging them. 

Glenn was in treatment for three months prior to his overdose. When he returned home, he relapsed, which is not uncommon. On Sunday, June 7, Glenn phoned Pam to ask if she could get him into detox. Being a Sunday, she said she would try her best to find a spot.  She called back the next morning to say had found a bed for him. He didn’t pick up; he had died the night before.

“His death could have been prevented. I don’t understand why this has to go on for so long with such a huge impact on families." 

Pam herself spent close to 20 years on the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. With the support of family and friends, she has been sober for twelve years. Over the years, she has lost more than 100 friends and acquaintances to the toxic drug supply.

“It feels like people don’t matter, that our lives don’t matter,” she said.

She’d like to see investments made in mental health and substance use services, particularly in detox where the window for change is so narrow.

In her professional life, Pam manages Unlocking the Gates, a community-based participatory peer health mentoring project that supports individuals leaving correctional facilities in B.C. with reintegration into society.

On top of her involvement with Unlocking the Gates – an initiative of the Collaborating Centre for Prison Health and Education at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and First Nations Health Authority – Pam is also the peer coordinator for the UBC Transformative Health and Justice Research Cluster.

This research cluster is affiliated with the BCCDC’s Provincial Overdose Cohort, a team led by Amanda Slaunwhite, a senior BCCDC scientist. The cohort uses administrative health data to inform the provincial overdose response in collaboration with the Overdose Emergency Response Centre, Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and PHSA programs BCMHSUS and BC EHS.

In 2020, 1,724 people died of overdose, almost five people per day. Each of these persons leaves behind family, friends, and loved ones. 

Pam hopes that people will remember Glenn Jr. as a good man with a beautiful heart who had so much potential and love to give others. 

As we commemorate this grim milestone of the overdose public health emergency, we must acknowledge the trauma being inflicted on people who use substances and their friends and families. 

If you are using drugs or know someone who is, please review the following resources:

Buddy up when using drugs. Using with a friend is safer than using alone even during the pandemic. Other options include: