Mark Tyndall

The harm reduction model of drug addiction treatment

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About Mark Tyndall

Epidemiologist, physician and public health expert Mark Tyndall has dedicated his career to studying HIV, poverty, and drug use in multiple places around the world, starting with Nairobi, and now in Vancouver. An early advocate for harm reduction programs, Mark was at the forefront of North America’s first legally sanctioned supervised injection facility, INSITE, established in Vancouver in 2003. Since then, studies have shown that safe injection sites save lives, reduce transmission of disease and help people access addiction treatment and other medical services. A proponent of evidence-based public health policy and interventions, Mark has authored over 250 academic papers and has received multiple honors for his work. He is currently the Director of the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control and a professor at the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia.

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About This Talk

"We know that if recovery is ever going to happen, we have to keep people alive". When it comes to combatting drug use, Mark Tyndall believes sanctions aren't enough, and that they sometimes hurt more than they help. As Executive Medical Director for the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Mark has come to see the importance of providing drug users with all different types of support.

From supervised injection sites to methadone clinics, Mark has been an early adopter and leader of various harm reduction efforts in Vancouver, BC. Tune in to his 2017 TEDMED Talk to learn more about how these models have not only saved lives, but have also become the first step to recovery for many suffering from drug addiction.

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