Overdose Awareness Day
To Honour Those Who Died and Their Loved Ones Left Behind
They are more than overdose statistics. Behind the numbers are real individuals – mothers, fathers, children, partners and others – who leave behind grieving loved ones.
Acknowledging the grief and ending the stigma associated with overdose deaths is the focus of an Overdose Awareness Day event coming to Lindsay’s Victoria Park (190 Kent Street West) on Wednesday, August 31 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPR District Health Unit), John Howard Society of Kawartha Lakes & Haliburton, and other concerned community partners are organizing the event, which falls on International Overdose Awareness Day.
Reducing the Stigma of Overdoses
“Overdose is often seen as a dirty word that comes with lots of baggage, but this is an unfortunate view that’s far from the truth,” says Natasha James, the Harm Reduction and Crisis Coordinator, with the local John Howard Society. “People who use drugs do so for many reasons. If an overdose or death occurs due to a poisoned drug supply as it often does, we cannot blame the victims. Overdoses are a societal scourge that we must all work to address to save lives and end the stigma.”
Kate Hall, a Health Promoter with the HKPR District Health Unit, echoes this point. “Let’s remember that overdoses are a health issue, not a criminal issue, and that with increased community awareness and action, we can save lives,” she says. “The Overdose Awareness Day event in Lindsay is meant to remember those who have died from overdoses and recognize the grief felt by loved ones left behind. We encourage everyone to come out on August 31st to show their support. In the event of an overdose or death due to a poisoned drug supply, families and friends need compassion and support to grieve their loved one without blame or shame. Addressing stigma within each of us and reducing the harms of drug use will save lives.”
Overdose Awareness Event Schedule
The Overdose Awareness Day on August 31 in Lindsay’s Victoria Park will feature guest speakers, music, refreshments, and activities for all ages. Special guests include:
Jon Perrin from the Twisted Trauma Foundation who will share his story at 10 a.m. of being a first responder suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Twisted Trauma provides peer support to individuals living with mental health issues, and Perrin’s specific focus will be on helping those who have lost a loved one to overdose. “Losing a loved one to overdose is an extremely traumatic event,” Perrin says. “I want to speak to this loss, honouring our loved ones who can’t be there with us, and provide hope, inspiration and guidance for family and friends to not move on, but move forward with life after such a significant loss.”
Music with Linda ‘Pinky’ Brown from I Pinky Swear at 1:30 p.m. Linda has a love for music and motorcycles, but in September 2015, she was hit by a distracted driver while riding her Harley-Davidson V-R. During her long hospital stay, she played guitar to cheer up those around her. Music is like medicine, and it not only helped those around her, but it also helped Brown which is why she is happy to share her musical talent with others.
International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31 comes as opioid overdose-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations and deaths continue to surge in the HKPR District Health Unit region.
To reduce overdoses, people are encouraged to never use alone, test a small amount of the drug before using and immediately call 9-1-1 in the event of an overdoses. Providing naloxone (an emergency medicine that temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose) to someone who overdoses can also buy the time needed to get to hospital for treatment.
For more information on accessing naloxone kits and reducing overdoses, visit the HKPR District Health Unit’s web page.
