Hastings and Prince Edward Counties/Aug. 25, 2022
International Overdose Awareness Day takes place on August 31 each year with an aim to raise awareness of overdose, reduce stigma associated with drug-related deaths, and remember those who have died or suffered permanent injury due to drug overdose. This year, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) is collaborating with community partners with support from United Way HPE to reduce stigma related to all types of drug use.
Several events are taking place across the region with this goal in mind.
August 26
Picton: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., 46 King St.
The HOPE Centre and HPEPH in partnership with United Way HPE will be providing naloxone training and handing out naloxone kits. Naloxone is a medication that can temporarily stop an overdose caused by opioid drugs. Opioid drugs include heroin, morphine, fentanyl, hydromorphone, codeine and methadone.
August 31
Belleville: 2:30 – 4 p.m., Market Square, 169 Front St.
A presentation to create awareness of the current drug crisis in the region and provide information about the harms that stigma creates for people experiencing substance use featuring speakers from HPEPH and community leaders will be taking place. Members of the community will also be sharing their inspirational stories and there will be a memorial ceremony and moment of silence to remember and honour loved ones lost. This event is being offered by Addictions and Mental Health Services-Hastings Prince Edward (AMHS-HPE) and HPEPH, in partnership with the Belleville Quinte West Community Health Centre (BQWCHC), and United Way HPE.
Bancroft: 2 – 4 p.m., 26 Station St. (beside the post office)
North Hastings Community Trust and HPEPH, in partnership with United Way HPE, will be offering residents naloxone training and naloxone kits, as well as a live streaming of the Belleville event.
Tweed: 8:30 a.m. – 8 p.m., Gateway Community Health Centre, 41 McClellan St.In collaboration with the United Way HPE, Gateway Community Health Centre is hosting naloxone training all day. Naloxone kits will be available at this event and going forward at the Gateway Community Health Centre in Tweed.
Trenton: 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., Mobile Community Resource Unit, 97 Front St.
BQWCHC staff will provide naloxone training to the public and host a walk of silence at 4:30 p.m. from the Mobile Community Resource Unit and ending at the BQWCHC on Catherine Street to provide a safe place for individuals to grieve.
AMHS-HPE will be offering a live streaming of the Belleville event at 2:30 p.m.
While everyone has been impacted by the pandemic, many individuals who use substances experienced an increased risk during the pandemic due to isolation and changes in services and support. In Hastings and Prince Edward Counties (HPEC), 2020 saw 29 deaths related to opioids, and based on preliminary data there were 30 deaths in 2021. In the province of Ontario more than 2,400 Ontarians died from opioid-related causes in 2020. Though preliminary, there were over 2,800 opioid-related deaths in 2021. Preliminary data also shows 20 suspected drug-related deaths from January to July 2022 for HPEC.
Drug poisoning can happen to anyone, including people who use street drugs, people who use prescription drugs incorrectly, or people who are experimenting for the first time. Substance use disorders can also affect anyone, as addiction and mental health disorders are complex and are impacted by a variety of factors outside of individual control. It is important that people with substance use disorders are treated with the same dignity and respect as those experiencing any other health issue.
The presence of contaminated drugs in the community has increased the risk of overdose in HPEC. Individuals who use drugs are encouraged to take steps to use as safely as possible. Safer drug use supplies continue to be available at HPEPH’s Belleville, Trenton, and Bancroft offices.
Consider additional precautions to use as safely as possible during the pandemic. If you must use alone, call the National Overdose Response Service overdose prevention hotline at
1-888-688-6677. The hotline operates 24-hours-a-day and when you call this confidential and judgement free service, the operator will stay on the phone with you while you use drugs, and will call 911 and advise of possible overdose if they do not receive a response after drugs are administered.
Community members are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the signs of an overdose and know how to respond to an overdose. If you experience a substance use disorder, you are not alone. For more information, visit https://www.hpepublichealth.ca/safer-drug-use/.
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Media Contact:
Maureen Hyland, Communications Specialist
mhyland@hpeph.ca
About Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) is a public health agency that serves the counties of Hastings and Prince Edward from four local offices. We monitor the health of our local population, deliver programs and services within our communities, and help develop healthy public policies. We provide information and support in many areas to help improve the health and well-being of our residents. Together with our communities, we help people become as healthy as they can be. For more information, please visit hpePublicHealth.ca. You can also find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
