Community Empowerment, Adult Education and Social Media Approaches to the Opioid Crisis in Vancouver

As adult educators in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, public health workers and those with lived experience of drug use create supportive environments and educational programs that foster harm reduction and community empowerment to address the Opioid Crisis. Using Community Empowerment theory as its conceptual framework and an Appreciative Inquiry with public health experts as its methodology, this research study contributes to understanding community-led adult education initiatives for marginalised adults, specifically in public health education. Through this exploration, we examine the working relationships and aspects of community culture, public education, social media and cell phone apps employed for education, communication, and life-saving tools to promote positive social change. Findings provide an overview of the educational work currently being done by public health adult educators, the community, and activist users of drugs and highlight the need to address social determinants of healthcare, including systemic oppression and access to internet technology for community empowerment.