B.C. supportive housing worker says staff have been hospitalized due to toxic drug fumes

A whistleblower who is a mental health and addictions worker for the Victoria Cool Aid Society says she has been hospitalized after being exposed to toxic drug fumes while at work.

A whistleblower who is a mental health and addictions worker for the Victoria Cool Aid Society says she has been hospitalized after being exposed to toxic drug fumes while at work.

CTV News is calling her Heather and concealing her identity at her request because she feared losing her job for speaking out.

“I don’t feel safe at all,” she said Wednesday. “That’s why I’m talking to you. Something has to get done about all of this, none of the workers are safe—I’m not the only one feeling unsafe.”

In fact, Heather, along with her co-workers, are now required to wear a respirator mask at certain times, such as when working at the old Tally Ho Hotel, a supportive housing facility run by Cool Aid and funded by the province.

Don McTavish, the director of housing and shelters with the Cool Aid Society says testing last fall confirmed dangerous levels of drug fumes at the building.

“We started to get more and more reports from staff of symptomatic exposures to second-hand smoke when they’re attending to overdoses or going into rooms,” he said Tuesday. “We did some air testing and found there was some concerning levels of chemicals in the air.”

Heather says she’s one of many co-workers who have been subjected to exposure to drug fumes—something she says happens on a daily basis.