Garth Mullins is a Canadian radio producer, activist, methadone user, and musician. He is the host of the ''Crackdown'' podcast and a board member of Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users. His podcast won The Canadian Hillman Prize in 2020.

Early life

Mullins grew up in Yellowknife,

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...

in the 1970s. He was bullied in school about his albinism. During high school he worked in banking and construction; after high school he worked in a mine in

. Being blind was a barrier to employment opportunities, prompting him to return to studies at the University of Victoria. While studying, he hosted a radio show called ''The War Measures Act'' and took

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...

for the first time at the age of 19. After graduating from the University of Victoria, he studied political sociology at the London School of Economics, while writing articles for the '' Vancouver Sun''.

Later life and views

Mullins has hosted the monthly ''Crackdown'' podcast since 2019. His team won The Canadian Hillman Prize in 2020. A previous intravenous user of heroin, Mullins is a user of methadone. He speaks about his own use of drugs on the ''Crackdown'' podcast hoping to inprove public education. He serves on the board of directors of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users. Mullins describes how he sees the war on drugs as still affecting people in contemporary times. He is an advocate for the legalisation of street drugs, and has campaigned against the planned expansion in scope of Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying permissibility to include people with disabilities. Mullins performs as a musician in the band Legally Blind.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mullins, Garth Year of birth missing (living people) Living people University of Victoria alumni Alumni of the London School of Economics People from Yellowknife Journalists from British Columbia People from Vancouver Canadian podcasts Activists from British Columbia Canadian disability rights activists Canadian health activists Canadian human rights activists Canadian blind people People with albinism Canadian drug policy reform activists Blind activists