I.O.A.D 2020
International Overdose Awareness Day (I.O.A.D) 2020.
I.O.A.D started in Melbourne in 2001, as a way grieve the loss of those who were taken from us by drug overdose, a chance to fight stigma against people who use drugs, and to spark a discussion about prevention, policy, and action.
In BC, overdoses are on the rise again, and COVID-19 is part of the reason. This pandemic has proven to be difficult for so many of us, but it has hit people who use drugs catastrophically.
According to Chief Coroner of BC Lisa LaPointe, deaths due to overdose are higher than those due to Motor Vehicle Incidents, homicides, suicide, and COVID-19 COMBINED (1). Since May, there have been over 500 overdose deaths - and while comparison doesn’t make either situation easier - there have been 83 COVID deaths (2, 3).
Drugs are getting more and more toxic, and it has been suggested that this is due to changes in the supply chain due to COVID (4). While this fact is very scary and upsetting, it also highlights how interconnected we all are across the world, and how we really are all in this together.
Today, our chests feel heavy. We take a moment to remember our brothers and sisters, our friends and community members, our loved ones and our strangers, whom we have lost to this battle.
Some were just trying a substance. Some were using as they have for many years. For others, this was their ninth relapse from recovery. Some were self-medicating or doing their best to treat injuries both internal and external.
Many, if not most, were alone.
Most, approximately 80%, were people who were identified as men (3).
Today in BC, opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, and amphetamines are where we find toxicity, and they fentanyl within them is causing death (3).
As you are reading this today, there is a strong possibility that someone who is using right now, is at risk of overdose.
So… the question remains… what can you do to help?
REACH OUT. Reach out to your loved ones, family, friends, community members… let them know that they are loved. Even just a reminder that someone cares can help.
LISTEN. Be kind to those who might be struggling. Take a moment to listen or seek out people who have experienced drug use. Reach out to someone you know who has lost a loved one to the overdose crisis, and let them tell you how they feel. It takes a village.
GET TRAINED, SAVE A LIFE. Take Naloxone training and get your own naloxone kit at www.towardtheheart.com. Keep it with you in a purse or backpack so you can respond.
DONATE. Look up organizations in your community who provide support for those who use drugs, and donate to them! These nurses, doctors, social workers, and care providers are out there responding to overdoses, helping people recover, and providing resources every single day. They NEED your help. See below for some organizations to support.
SPEAK UP. Contact your local government, your local MLA or MPs office, or even the Provincial Government and DEMAND solutions to this problem. Every single voice counts, because together the one become many. Without you, nothing changes.
ADVOCATE. Wear Purple to show your support. Speak Up for people who use. Attend online International Overdose Awareness Day events. Post, post, and post again! Talk about it with your friends. Bring it up with your family, and listen to their perspectives.
SHARE. Tell as many people as you can about resources that are available to them in the community. Naloxone training, drug test kits, Methadone/Suboxone therapy, Safe Injection Sites, Safe Supply Programs and more are available, and even if you know someone doesn’t use, the information can still be helpful for them to pass along too.
HEAL. If you have lost someone, remind yourself that you too need support, time to grieve, and time to focus on yourself and your own journey. Reach out for support and consider counselling. Find resources that are culturally safe for you. Seek out elders or leaders in your community.
JOIN OUR #REACHOUT Campaign by posting a picture or video to your social media and answering the question “I Reach Out Because…”. Use #caretwoshare and #ReachOut so we can spread the awareness far and wide.
What can you do to protect yourself if you are using?
REACH OUT. Tell someone you love and TRUST if you are using. Stigma kills. The more we share, the more we can help one another stay safe. If you have relapsed, just remember that is part of recovery and you can always seek help again. We love you and we want you to be safe.
DON’T USE ALONE. With COVID, this is harder, but you can use 6ft apart from someone else. Avoid sharing your equipment, and be sure to dispose of needles and other tools carefully. Even if you cannot use with a friend, try calling/messaging a friend before you use to let them know that you are using and to check on you.
CHECK, CHECK, AND CHECK AGAIN. Find out where you can check your substances, or where you can purchase test kits. While this can be tedious, maybe ask someone if they would be willing to help you get to a drug checking centre or support you in finding locations throughout the island and mainland including Fraser and Northern Health.
FIND A SUPERVISED SITE. Go to Insite in Vancouver, or other Safe Consumption Sites in BC where you can use in the presence of physicians are care providers. These sites also have safe and clean supplies, as well as testing services.
GET TRAINED. As someone who uses, you might be in a situation where you need to respond to someone else overdosing. Go to www.towardtheheart.com to receive Naloxone kits and training. This will also help you understand what could happen if you were in that situation, and if you have a naloxone kit with you it will be easier for someone who might finds you in that situation to help.
GET THE APP. Download the Lifeguard App or the BeSafe App, and use it when you are planning to use. It can even provide you with notifications in case you forget.
SEEK HELP. If you feel ready to receive help for using, talk to a professional. It is OK to visit your medical practitioner, a local clinic, or a service provider as they can help you stay informed and provide you with the support you need to begin recovery.
HEAL. Experiencing an overdose is a traumatic event. If you have experienced an overdose, or you have lost someone to overdose, you also need to heal. Seek out culturally relevant healing for yourself. Talk to an elder. Speak to a community or spiritual leader. Seek out counselling, other resources, or bereavement support.
There is hope yet. Helping our communities, advocating for a safe supply, being kind to one another, and keeping each other safe is how we get better and how we move forward.
Love, kindness, patience, courage… for us all.
“We are all in the same storm. But we are not all in the same boat.”
Sources:
1) https://globalnews.ca/news/7297034/illicit-drug-deaths-july-b-c/
2) http://www.bccdc.ca/health-professionals/data-reports/illegal-drug-overdose-events
3) https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-overdose-numbers-july-2020-1.5698795
4) https://archive.news.gov.bc.ca/releases/news_releases_2017-2021/2020MMHA0027-001042.htm
Some Organizations that we want to thank, and that you can support:
Our Place
Cool Aid
Victoria Native Friendship Centre
Foundry
Out of the Rain Youth Shelter
Kiwanis Youth Shelter
Beacon Community Services
Mens Trauma Centre
Bill Reid Place
Umbrella Society
Victoria Womens Transition House
Threshold Housing
Directions Youth Services
Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness
Lookout Society
Howard House
Atira Women’s Society
RainCity Housing
Downtown Eastside Womens Centre
The Door Is Open
Gathering Place Community Centre