But few compare to an ad taken out by J.A.L. McAlpine, “druggist and chemist,” in the Jan. 25, 1896 issue of Vancouver World. The left-hand side of the ad features the words “Drugs Drugs ...

The overdose epidemic receives a lot of media attention in Vancouver. More than 350 people in the city died after taking drugs last year, which is an astronomical number for a population its size.