WATCH: Barrie mom in relentless fight to save others from toxic drugs

On Nov. 29, 2020, the overdose crisis in Ontario claimed yet another life: Ryan Nayler. The Barrie resident was one week shy of his 35th birthday.

Since his tragic passing, Ryan's mother has been fighting hard for a public health-based approach to the toxic drug epidemic, which continues to kill Canadians at an unprecedented pace. 

Christine Nayler was a recent guest on Inside the Village, a news and current affairs podcast produced by Village Media. She talked about her son's legacy, why politicians are afraid to embrace common-sense solutions—and why she will never stop sharing her family's story.

"We have to humanize it because people just hear numbers and they are numb to the numbers," Nayler said. "But those are not numbers; those are real people. Those were people's sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, uncles, best friends — and their losses have a huge impact on families and communities."

"This is a public health emergency," she continued. "If we were losing this amount of people to any other issue, there would be action on all levels of government. There is not because we value these lives less. We have a judgment and a stigma towards people that use drugs."

Launched in April, Inside the Village provides a weekly window into some of the best local journalism from across Village Media's expanding network of community newsrooms. The podcast also explores issues and ideas that impact people all over Ontario.

Nayler's full interview is here. You can find every episode of the show on this news site /insidethevillage, or wherever you download your favourite podcasts.