Matthew Bonn

Matthew is an International Board member with International Network of Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users, a knowledge translator for the Dr. Peter Centre and a harm reduction knowledge broker. He was previously the program manager with the Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs.

Matthew’s freelance writing has appeared in publications including The ConversationDoctors Nova Scotia, Policy Options and The Coast. He was also on the 64th Canadian delegation to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. He is a current drug user and a formerly incarcerated person.

Learning to Love My Track Marks

[This article contains images of injection wounds.] When you have been injecting drugs for a long time, it tends to…

September 10, 2025

Most Overdose Prevention Centers Are Urban. The Spot Was Different.

In March 2024, lack of government funding led to the closure of The Spot, the only overdose prevention center (OPC)…

August 6, 2025

Garth Mullins of “Crackdown” on Loss, Methadone and Drug-User Organizing

Garth Mullins knows the pain of losing people all too well. In 2019, during my early days of becoming a…

June 26, 2025

An Invisible Crisis: Brain Injury From Non-Fatal Overdose

Harms related to drug overdose are not limited to death. It’s important to remember that, when research has indicated there…

June 2, 2025

Ontario’s Unconscionable Supervised Consumption Sites Shutdown

On December 2, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, passed a law that will shut down 10 supervised drug consumption…

December 9, 2024

To Me, International Drug Users Day Should Mean Pride

International Drug Users Day, marked on November 1, is very near and dear to my heart. I’ve lost so many people…

November 1, 2024

I Just Overdosed Again. This Time, It Was Different.

I’ve been using drugs—opioids, stimulants and many others—on and off for basically my whole adult life. I don’t see it…

September 26, 2024

Overdose Response Training Should Teach the Jaw Thrust Maneuver

I’ve been using fentanyl and other opioids, off and on, for the past 15 years. I’ve experienced a lot of…

September 12, 2024

Providence, RI, Overdose Prevention Center Set to Open This Fall

Claire Macon in Providence, Rhode Island, has one of the rarest job titles in the United States: overdose prevention center…

August 21, 2024

World Hepatitis Day: How Scotland Worked With People Who Inject Drugs

I’ve experienced a lot of harms related to substance use, but the one that got me into harm reduction was…

July 26, 2024