Group pushes to add Oppenheimer Park to Vancouver’s drinking in parks program

Spaces in the Downtown Eastside have been excluded from Vancouver’s program to allow alcohol in parklets and other public places which one group says is incredibly harmful to people with severe alcohol dependency who could be subject to police pour-outs.

Last year, six outdoor public spaces in Vancouver were designated areas where people could consume alcohol. The Vancouver Park Board also adopted a bylaw to allow drinking at 22 different parks between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m., seven days a week. Oppenheimer Park, located in the Downtown Eastside, was not included in either program.

Next week when council considers extending its pilot, the Eastside Illicit Drinkers Group for Education (EIDGE), which is a subgroup of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, says it will be telling councillors they have the staff and resources to help run the program in Oppenheimer.

Related Article: Vancouverites will be able to crack a cold one at parks again this year

Aaron Bailey is the program coordinator with EIDGE and says people have always consumed alcohol at the park, but as of now, officers can ticket or pour out their alcohol.

“[A] person living with relatively severe alcohol dependency, that drink that’s being poured out may have been that drink that would prevent them from going into very, very dangerous withdrawal symptoms and potentially a seizure,” he explains.

“Whenever alcohol is confiscated, by police, by by-law in that manner, it’s actually putting that illicit drinker’s health, safety and bodily autonomy at risk there in that moment.”

Bailey also says handing a ticket is “quite nefarious, too.”

“What seems to be a minor misdemeanour to penalize, very quickly becomes severe and causes criminalization if that is not paid, which is often the case for many illicit drinkers that live on very low incomes.”

And interactions people who are intoxicated have with police can also lead to vulnerable folks arrested if the interaction escalates.

Along with its scheduled review of the Alcohol Consumption in Public Plazas Policy, city council will also be taking a look at extending the Drinkers Lounge Alcohol Consumption Pilot.

Bailey plans to speak in support of the drinking in plazas and parks  at city hall while pushing to add Oppenheimer to the parks program and offering staff and volunteers to help.

“One programming site is never going to reach all the folks that could benefit from it,” he admits but adds  “People have been comfortable drinking here for forever. They’re already acting as stewards of the park. Let’s just resource them to continue to keep their friends safe.”

Bailey says the community has lately been “losing people at a faster rate than we ever sort of really have.” He says without harm reduction options, illicit drinkers are left isolated, they’re left reliant on very, very harmful non-beverage alcohol substitutes, like rubbing alcohol … [and are] socially disconnected.”

“We’ve lost a lot of people, and in particular lost a lot of elders. And I think a lot of that has to do with the … availability of alcohol harm reduction measures, and in particular, making existing products and services safer for polysubstance users, because we know, lots of drinkers also use other drugs and vice versa.”