#539 – Outlawed Round Up 9.23.26 – One Of Them | Illusory Truth
September 23, 2026
This episode follows DrewCouver, an independent journalist documenting homelessness, addiction, mental health, and street-level drug use across Vancouver and beyond. Graham and Darren press him on what he is seeing on the ground, and the conversation widens into treatment policy, organized crime, NGOs, and what recovery should actually look like.
Drew brings a highly personal perspective too. He talks about his own history with addiction, injury, recovery, group homes, and the way those experiences shaped the camera work and interviews he now does in the downtown east side and across British Columbia.
Independent Journalist. Content Creator. Independent Reporting
To create more awareness about the homeless issues, mental health and addiction issues, and the misinformation about the people that live in their addiction.
Support: http://drewcouver.com/donate.php
Key topics
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Drew shares his background growing up in BC, moving to Vancouver at 18, getting into nightlife and drugs, surviving severe addiction, and eventually getting sober.
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He explains how back injuries, opioid prescriptions, and a bad COVID-era spiral pushed him into a new round of dependence before he chose to get clean again.
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The discussion centers on Vancouver’s downtown east side, where Drew says harm reduction has become disconnected from recovery and public safety.
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Drew argues that treatment in BC and Alberta often keeps people on methadone, Suboxone, hydromorphone, or fentanyl rather than pushing abstinence.
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He contrasts Alberta’s approach with BC’s and says Alberta is at least less rigid about forcing people off harm-reduction medication in treatment.
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The conversation turns to open-air drug markets, apps used by dealers, and cross-contamination in the cocaine and fentanyl supply.
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Drew describes the hollowing out of downtown cores across BC cities such as Prince George, Vernon, Kelowna, Smithers, and others.
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He claims NGOs and nonprofit networks have become a major money channel, especially around housing, homelessness, and Aboriginal-focused organizations.
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The episode digs into how funding, grant writing, and identity-based programs can create systems that protect institutions more than they help addicts.
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Drew makes a broad case for returning to tougher recovery standards, more consequences for crime, and a stronger role for 12-step programs and personal accountability.
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Timestamps
00:00 – Intro to DrewCouver and his street-level reporting
03:10 – Drew’s addiction history and recovery journey
05:28 – Traveling BC and the UK to track similar crises
07:53 – Why Alberta’s treatment model looks different from BC
10:34 – Cocaine, fentanyl, and the ease of ordering drugs
12:21 – A friend dies after taking cocaine in the car
13:31 – The Van Doo drug-testing grant story and dark web sourcing
16:24 – Organized crime and port control claims
18:20 – Downtown cores hollowed out across BC cities
21:10 – How AA used to work and why treatment changed
23:34 – Amputations, infections, and the cost of staying high
24:12 – Harm reduction as public health versus community harm
30:11 – The Prince George health center story
32:56 – SROs, ex-hotels, and the cost of housing
36:18 – Deindustrialization, the Sacklers, and drug dependency
39:40 – Cannabis legalization, easy access, and who profits
43:35 – Cocaine in the UK and the changing drug economy
47:32 – Church decline, social breakdown, and historical patterns
50:22 – NGO fraud, funding webs, and BC’s nonprofit concerns
58:16 – Grant-funded programs and changing definitions of youth
65:57 – Incentives to quit and the welfare system
67:26 – Why Drew says politics and law need to change
71:12 – Public drug use, hospitals, and jail
73:21 – Treatment centers like Baldy Hughes
79:16 – 12-step traditions, anonymity, and recovery
83:31 – Why Drew believes AA still matters
85:53 – Where to find Drew and his reporting
86:18 – Attacks, investigations, and free speech concerns
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