International Overdose Awareness Day is today and the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit is doing its part to raise awareness.
The Health Unit says the day’s goal is to raise awareness about addiction and mental health while addressing the stigma attached to opioid addiction. The Community Harm Reduction Steering Committee in Leeds Grenville and Lanark is spearheading the movement and has already created a local opioid response plan that addresses the community needs around opioids.
The Health Unit also run the Revive Overdose Response Program, which distributes Narcan , aka Naloxone, nasal spray kits to clientele that are eligible to hold them. According to the Health Unit over the next few weeks they will be reaching out to eligible community based organizations that are interested in training and distribution of Naloxone Kits.
Claire Farella, the Manager of Healthy Living and Development with the Health Unit, says often people with substance addiction issues are treated criminally, instead of as a true health concern. This stigma can often have negative implications like poor mental or physical health and delayed recoveries because of the way they fear they may be treated.
According to Farella the Health Unit has found that people who find themselves involved with an overdose often don’t call emergency services because they’re afraid of how they will be treated. Farella says that during 2016 there were 12 suspected overdose deaths and only five called emergency services. After only eight months this year there have been 39 suspected overdoses with 14 calls for help. She adds that many staff in emergency rooms do everything they can to help but the stigma is still there for opioid users.
For more details on International Overdose Awareness Day you can visit http://www.healthunit.org/.
