Several health and social agencies are getting ready to recognize Thursday, Aug. 31 as International Overdose Awareness Day.
That includes North Hastings Community Trust, which will mark the day with an event at 1 p.m. at its 19 Valleyview Dr. location.
Harm Reduction Outreach Worker Victoria Burke says there is a drug crisis in North Hastings. She says overdoses happen here regularly, so it’s important for people to talk openly about the issue.
“We’ll have people speaking about their lived experience and their experience with the overdose crisis,” she says. “And there will be education about Naloxone (kits) and safe drug-use supply.”
“And we’ll have lots of art, for folks to come and honour folks that they’ve lost and honour folks that are experiencing overdoses all the time. It’s a very traumatic thing for people to have to respond to.”
Burke explains that programs at The Trust are based on reducing stigma around drug use and emphasizing that every life has value.