Data suggests between 400 and 500 addicts will die in the province this year from drug overdoses alone. About 50 per cent will be in Vancouver, and about half of those from the Downtown Eastside. More than 50 per cent will also involve alcohol in combination with drugs. Many street people have a very difficult time following drug regimens for medication, and often do not complete antibiotic prescriptions, leading to more serious infections at a later date. People who enter street-level sex trade activities are at very high risk, both from diseases and violence.
Prostitutes go missing all the time.
Our agency publishes a newsletter that identifies possible predators, and those who would hurt, maim, abduct, rob or even kill these people. To salve the pain of this lifestyle, and often previous unresolved trauma such as sexual abuse, illegal drugs work effectively, but relief is for such a short time. As the dynamic of addiction increases, the toll on the individual is radical. Diet suffers, ability to care for one's self often is no longer a personal priority. Drug access is the paramount factor in that person's life.