The ACAS BIPOC Harm Reduction Program, co-ordinated by Justin Anantawan, focuses on educating the ACAS community about harm reduction, substance use and addiction and building capacity for East and South East Asian folks to talk about substance use, decrease drug stigma and find solutions to problems linked to drug stigma and harmful government policies, like the current toxic drug crisis. This program works in collaboration with the BIPOC Harm Reduction Alliance which is made up of ACAS, Center for Spanish Speaking People, Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention, Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention and Africans in Partnership against AIDS.
We are always looking for volunteers or helpers
Justin Anantawan
Program Coordinator
[email protected]
The ACAS BIPOC Harm Reduction program does substance use and sexual health education workshops in the community at places such as West Neighborhood House, York University, College Street United Church, Spa Xcess and Yonge Street Mission. Topics have included meth use in the Asian gay community, cannabis harm reduction, substance use and mental health, drug stigma, HIV self-testing and emergency overdose response. The program also includes street outreach, like when Justin dressed up like a condom on Halloween night to stand outside Wellesley Station to give out condoms, naloxone and drug stigma info sheets.
The ACAS BIPOC Harm Reduction program regularly collaborates with organizations such as the Harm Reduction Collective of Toronto and Moms Stop the Harm to raise awareness about issues affecting PWUD and their loved ones and mobilize the community to fight against social injustice. For example, the program is currently running a photostory project in which BIPOC folks with lived experience of substance use and addiction share their stories with the community to challenge drug stigma. These photostories were displayed at the “No More Shame” exhibit held in January 2025, which was an event organized to protest Bill 223 which shuttered surpervised consumption sites in Toronto.
