Angie Staines, Regional Director Alberta

Angie Staines is the founder of the 4B Harm Reduction Society (4BHRS), a non-profit organization focused on combating the drug poisoning crisis through street outreach, education, and advocacy. 4BHRS is deeply informed by Staines’ son B’s 13 years of substance use and her own experience with houselessness. This has enabled Staines to see the drug poisoning and housing crises for what they are: preventable failures of public policy.

Staines started doing street outreach during the summer heatwave of 2021 while out looking for B, who was then living on the streets of downtown Edmonton. This led to the creation of 4BHRS, which has since grown into a non-profit organization with over 30 volunteers. Alongside its mobile street outreach team, 4BHRS regularly provides naloxone and harm reduction training for schools, businesses, and the general public.

Public education and advocacy are important cornerstones of Staines’ work. She promotes an evidence-based approach to drug policy grounded in harm reduction, the need for a safe supply, and decriminalization. In addition to leading 4BHRS, she is a member of Moms Stop the Harm and Albertans for Ethical Drug Policy, for which she collaborated on an open letter demanding greater transparency from the Alberta government about its drug treatment programs.

Staines was motivated to return to school at the age of 43 after witnessing the stigma and barriers that unhoused people and people who use drugs face in the medical system. She graduated from Norquest College in 2022 as a Licenced Practical Nurse (LPN). She is also currently a research assistant for the Inner City Health and Wellness Program, which promotes patient-centred care for those who use substances.