In Vancouver, a 42‑year‑old man known only as Alan has been charging $20 to inject drug users, perforimng anywhere from three to a dozen visits each day. he is part of an informal web of roughly a dozen similar “hit doctors” who travel the city offering the service despite its illegality.

Alan’s $20 per injection hustle reaches up to 12 daily visits

Alan says he carries a backpack of tourniquets, cookers, clean needles and naloxone,and he arrives by taxi wherever a client texts “doctor.” He stays beside the client for 15‑20 minutes after the shot to watch for overdose, a practice he describes as “technically responsible.” According to the source, he estimates three to 12 visits per day and charges $20 each, translating to a modest but steady income.

A dozen unlicensed ‘hit doctors’ operate across Vancouver

The network is not limited to Alan. he reports knowing about twelve other individuals who provide the same service, a figure echoed by the Canadian Medical Association Journal’s 2017 reference to “hit doctors.” These providers move between neighbourhoods, often using text contacts saved as “doctor,” and they collectively serve hundreds of users who would otherwise inject alone.

BC’s 10‑year public health emergency backdrop

British Columbia declared a toxic‑drug public‑health emergency a decade ago, yet over 55,000 Canadians have died from overdoses in that span . As the source notes, the emergency has not eliminated the need for on‑the‑spot assistance, prompting users to rely on informal helpers like Alan. The province’s official supervised‑injection sites remain limited, leaving gaps that these underground providers aim to fill.

What legal protections exist for these informal providers?

Assisted injection is illegal in Canada, and the source confirms that Alan agreed to be followed only under strict anonymity to avoid prosecution. No legislation currently shields these “hit doctors” from criminal charges, even though they often intervene to prevent fatal overdoses. this legal vacuum raises questions about how public‑health policy can reconcile criminal law with harm‑reduction realities.

Who monitors overdoses when assisted injection is illegal?

Alan’s presence after each injection is a self‑imposed safety net, but the broader system lacks formal oversight. The source quotes DJ Larkin of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, noting that the term “doctor” is a code among users, not a recognized medical role. Without official supervision, the burden of overdose prevention falls on these untrained individuals, highlighting a critical gap in BC’s harm‑reduction framework.