Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users

This report is based on the 2003 Adolescent Health Survey (AHS). AHS is a large-cale survey of grades 7-12. The AHS is a large-scale survey conducted in grades 7-12 in British Columbia. This report focuses specifically on "vulnerable youth" (those who have experienced abuse and those who have had challenging, unstable home life). The report describes an array of health risks and challenges facing vulnerable youth. It identifies a number of "protective factors" in youth health, including: the existence of family support and a sense of connectedness to family and people at school; feeling safe and welcome at school; having friends who have healthy attitudes about risk behaviours; and spending time with parents, in the home, at key times in the day. The report concludes with recommendations for school and community interventions that help promote these protective factors in the lives of vulnerable youth.

A summary of key findings from the 2003 Adolescent Health Survey (AHS), a large-scale survey conducted in grades 7-12 in British Columbia. Data tables and descriptions are provided on the topics of youth's family background; smoking; substance use; sexual behaviour; physical and emotional health; injuries, violence and safety. The 2003 AHS found a dramatic decrease in smoking since the 1998 survey, a slight decline in substance use, fewer injuries, and a decline in physical and sexual abuse. Ongoing risk areas where preventative education and health promotion should be targeted include school safety, internet safety, diet, discrimination and harassment.

Three Letters and two sets of meeting minutes between January and April 1998 by the Vancouver Housing Forum. These concerned the need to push the federal government for a national housing program, in the wake of the 1998 federal budget. Priority issues, objectives, and strategies for effective political organizing around social housing are listed in the minutes. Two letters are correspondence between members of the Housing Forum; one is from the Housing Forum to the provincial health ministers, calling on them to pressure for federal participation in the provision of new social housing.

First issue of the alternative newsletter, "The Crow's Eye". Articles include: "Squat if you Support Housing"; "Halfway River First Nation Prevents Access Along North Road to Protect Sacred Hunting Areas"; "Tear down the Walls: Anti Capitalist Convergence against the IMF/World Bank Sept 26-Oct 1, 2001"; "Argentina's Death by IMF"; "World Bank 'losing support'"; "Class War and Murder in Ontario"; "Ontario justice is two-faced"; "No Disciplinary Action Against Police Involved in Death of Anthony Dawson"; "Stories of Police Abuse During G8 in Genoa Leak Out"; "Say 'I Do?' I Don't"; "Police Stories: The Not So New Repression of Dissent"; "Safe Shooting Rooms".