Several local events this coming week to mark International Overdose Awareness Day

Tomorrow is International Overdose Awareness Day with several online events planned all week locally.

Opening ceremonies take place at 11 am tomorrow with an online methamphetamine webinar on Wednesday, online Naloxone training on Thursday and a live Facebook feed of Memorial Flower Planting on Friday.

Brooke Bertrand is a Registered Psychotherapist in the Addictions Program at the Community Counselling Centre of Nipissing.

She says there are a couple goals with International Overdose Awareness Day locally and around the world.

“It was started in 2001 in Melbourne, Australia and it’s become an international event,” she says. “Here in North Bay, the goal for us and for other events around the world is to bring remembrance to those that have been injured or died as a result of substance overdose.  As well as to talk openly about preventing overdoses and the harm reduction philosophy when it comes to treating substance use disorders.”

Meagan Deutekom is the Hepatitis C Community Coordinator with the AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area and sits on the Harm Reduction Pillar, which organizes Overdose Awareness Day locally each year.

She says on top of creating awareness they’re looking to reduce stigma.

“As a society we’re surrounded by deep stigmatization towards people who use drugs from health inequality and discriminatory policies.  Socially excluding those whose reality we don’t understand is a common practice in our society unfortunately,” she says. “The stigma just further disconnects people and it pushes them away, it disconnects us as a community, as a society.  For some people Overdose Awareness Day is everyday, people grieving the loss of their family members, children, parents, spouses, and many others.”

Check out the local event schedule at www.myhealthunit.ca/overdoseawareness and email harmreductionpillarcdsnb@outlook.com to sign up last minute for events.

Several groups are involved with the community effort including the AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area, Community Counselling Centre of Nipissing, North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit, Ontario Addiction Treatment Centre and Nipissing First Nation.

For more information about the International event around the world visit overdoseday.com

(Photo by station staff)