Jessica Michalofsky is running more than 900 km from Nelson to Victoria to continue her advocacy for a safe and regulated drug supply.
In October, she ran the equivalent of 14 marathons around the Ministry of Health building in Victoria following the death of her son 25-year-old son, Aubrey Michalofsky.
Aubrey died of a drug overdose last August in Nelson.
In this new marathon, Michalofsky left Nelson on May 21 and will stop in 14 communities before arriving in Victoria on June 25.
She told the Nelson Star her main mission is to correct the misconception that people experiencing homelessness and mental health and addictions issues, in the Downtown Eastside (Vancouver) and on Pandora Street (Victoria) die of toxic drugs.
含羞草研究社淭hose people have such a spectacle around them that it distances (the public) from the issue: 含羞草研究社楳y son doesn含羞草研究社檛 look like that, my family doesn含羞草研究社檛 live like that.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
According to the BC Coroners Services含羞草研究社� statistics, there were 2,272 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths in the province in 2022, and many of those people died in their own homes.
含羞草研究社淭he perception that this is only hardened 含羞草研究社榙rug addicts含羞草研究社� is incorrect,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淵oung people are dying, first-time users are dying, people who were just kind of dabbling with drugs are dying.含羞草研究社�
Aubrey was enrolled in Selkirk College含羞草研究社檚 law and justice studies program and in 2021 earned a diploma, as well as several awards.
Michalofsky said she did not expect to directly influence politicians with her running around the health ministry building, but she hoped media coverage would inform the public.
含羞草研究社淢y purpose was to get the public thinking, talking, asking questions. That is still my hope.含羞草研究社�
Mikalofsky said if her son had had a safe inhalation site he might still be alive. He had used harm reduction services in Nelson and Victoria, she stated that those need to be expanded.
含羞草研究社淗e died in a house in Beasley, where he was doing drugs with people who did drugs, because that is where the drugs were, and those people were his community for the time being. If he had had a regulated safe source of drugs he would have gone to that location had it been accessible.含羞草研究社�
Michalofsky said that although she is an experienced marathon runner, she has never done a multi-day run before.
含羞草研究社淚t is a long distance, I am 51 years old, and even though I have trained, tendonitis and injury are what I fear the most. My will to continue is firm, and I hope my body will cooperate.含羞草研究社�
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bill.metcalfe@nelsonstar.com
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