Drug strategy group announces updates on harm reduction efforts

A regional drug strategy has been re-established to address growing trends in the toxic supply of drugs and drug poisonings, resulting in overdoses and deaths in Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton and Northumberland County.

The Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland Drug Strategy is a partnership of more than 35 organizations, departments, and individuals across the three counties, working directly or indirectly in social services, health care, or in harm reduction.

Working collaboratively, the strategic group strives to foster supportive and safe environments that promote the health and resiliency of individuals, families, and communities, and works to reduce the harms and stigma associated with substance use.

The drug strategy steering committee meets monthly to co-ordinate efforts to provide harm reduction supports and respond to growing trends in the toxic supply of drugs and drug poisonings.

Current work being undertaken includes increased collaboration, communication and partnerships and a community situation assessment using population health and community data that can be used to explore harm reduction and drug poisoning prevention strategies.

The group is also analyzing information collected through a survey with people with lived/living experience of substance use to better understand drug use practices and what they feel would be helpful in preventing overdose and drug poisonings.

“We are incredibly grateful to partners in harm reduction, including the John Howard Society, the HKPR District Health Unit, PARN and Green Wood Coalition, who lead the recruitment of survey participants and implementation of the survey through peer support workers,” stated Drug Strategy chair Dane Record in a press release.

“It is critically important, now more than ever, that we continue to engage in ongoing dialogue between decision-makers and people with lived experiences related to the complex issues surrounding drug poisoning to better understand and plan harm reduction supports.”

Other current priorities for the group are drafting a situational assessment of the four-pillar approach to address the regional drug poisoning crisis, continuing community discussions to tackle the drug poisoning crisis, providing community education events to address stigma and answer questions about harm reduction, and the landscape of drug poisoning, and advocating for policy solutions through the Drug Strategy Network of Ontario framework.

“We are all impacted by the increase in drug poisonings in our communities. Knowing the signs of a drug poisoning and how to help can save lives,” added steering committee co-chair Kate Hall.

“Members of the public can sign up to receive drug poisoning alerts and can also use the online submission form to anonymously report overdoses and drug-related information to assist in a more effective response to these incidents,” Hall said,

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit produces a weekly Opioid Overdose Report providing up-to-date information on opioid poisonings/overdoses and deaths in its region.

For more information and to learn more about current harm reduction efforts, visit hklndrugstrategy.ca.