Call 911: Events aim to raise overdose awareness and understanding

WATERLOO REGION — Overdose is a continuing problem facing Waterloo Region, prompting events in Kitchener and Cambridge to raise awareness and understanding.

“It remains an important issue for our community, and we need to keep talking about it,” said Lindsay Sprague, co-ordinator of the Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy.

The group, which aims to prevent, reduce or eliminate problematic substance use and its consequences, is hosting the events to mark International Overdose Awareness Day, a global event held annually on the last day of August.

Sprague said local police are reporting 26 suspected overdose deaths this year up to the end of July.

An event was held on Monday afternoon in Cambridge’s Dickson Park.

Another is planned for next Monday in Kitchener’s Victoria Park from 4 to 6 p.m.

“The events are really designed to provide education and awareness about the issue of overdose,” Sprague said.

Waterloo Regional Police Service officers will be at the event, along with organizations that provide support and information. Community members will share their loss of a loved one due to substance use.

“It’s a preventable tragedy,” Sprague said. “This really can affect anybody’s family.”

People can get a free naloxone kit and training on how to use it to temporarily reverse an overdose.

There will also be free pizza and water.

This year’s focus is on the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act. The federal act, which became law in May 2017, provides some legal protection for people who experience or witness an overdose and call 911 for help.

“We really want people to know it’s safe to call 911, and an overdose is a medical emergency,” Sprague said.

The events aim to counter the stigma around substance use and addiction. Too often, Sprague said, they’re treated as a poor choices rather than a health issue.

“We know that stigma does prevent people from getting help.”