UCP TREATS ADDICTION AS A CRIME
Edmonton outreach groups to come together to stand in solidarity with people who use substancesNOT A MEDICAL CONDITION
Edmonton community outreach groups, families, people with lived and living experience, and health care providers are coming together Thursday afternoon to stand in solidarity with people use substances.
Edmonton community outreach groups, families, people with lived and living experience, and health care providers are coming together Thursday afternoon to stand in solidarity with people use substances.
© Provided by Edmonton Journal Pedestrians make their way past a sticker raising awareness about opioids in an alley near 81 Avenue and Calgary Trail, in Edmonton Friday May 28, 2021.
Attendees are aiming to send a message that as drug poisoning deaths continue to increase and the illegal drug supply becomes more toxic and unpredictable, current drug laws continue to amplify suffering and more harm reduction services are needed.
“In light of the reality on the ground, it is absolutely necessary for us as Community Outreach groups to come together to support the community to collaborate and provide support for people affected by this poisoning crisis to help keep people safer and healthier, but most importantly alive,” said Shanell Twan, of Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs in a news release.
Between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., volunteers will be on hand to provide warm clothes, drinks, and food for attendees on the northside of 106 Avenue between 96 and 95 Street N.W.
Experienced volunteers will also be on standby to respond to overdoses and promote safety. Overdose response training will also be provided and naloxone distributed.
Following the event, outreach teams will go into neighbourhoods to provide safer use supplies and distribute naloxone.
According to the latest provincial data, between January and August of this year, 1,026 Albertans died of a drug poisoning. A total of 378 Edmontonians have died so far this year from a drug poisoning.
“By adopting a robust community response including outreach, harm reduction, and advocacy, we can end the drug overdose and poisoning claiming far too many of our neighbours,” the release states.
Attendees are aiming to send a message that as drug poisoning deaths continue to increase and the illegal drug supply becomes more toxic and unpredictable, current drug laws continue to amplify suffering and more harm reduction services are needed.
“In light of the reality on the ground, it is absolutely necessary for us as Community Outreach groups to come together to support the community to collaborate and provide support for people affected by this poisoning crisis to help keep people safer and healthier, but most importantly alive,” said Shanell Twan, of Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs in a news release.
Between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., volunteers will be on hand to provide warm clothes, drinks, and food for attendees on the northside of 106 Avenue between 96 and 95 Street N.W.
Experienced volunteers will also be on standby to respond to overdoses and promote safety. Overdose response training will also be provided and naloxone distributed.
Following the event, outreach teams will go into neighbourhoods to provide safer use supplies and distribute naloxone.
According to the latest provincial data, between January and August of this year, 1,026 Albertans died of a drug poisoning. A total of 378 Edmontonians have died so far this year from a drug poisoning.
“By adopting a robust community response including outreach, harm reduction, and advocacy, we can end the drug overdose and poisoning claiming far too many of our neighbours,” the release states.
National modelling suggests Canada's opioid overdose crisis could worsen through 2022
OTTAWA — The latest data from a federal special advisory committee on opioid overdoses shows that opioid-related deaths could remain high and even increase in the next six months.
In a statement released today, co-chairs Dr. Theresa Tam and Dr. Jennifer Russell said that the number of deaths and hospitalizations related to opioids remained high in the first half of 2021.
On average, 19 people died and 16 people were hospitalized due to opioid-related overdoses every day.
They added that more than half of opioid-related deaths also involved the use of a stimulant like cocaine or methamphetamine, which underscores how the overdose crisis is tied to the consumption of more than one drug at once.
The data suggests that the people most affected by the overdose crisis are men, people aged 20 to 49, and those who live in Western Canada and Ontario.
Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, and Russell, New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health, said current projections suggest that between 1,200 and 2,000 people could die during each quarter through to June 2022.
They said the modelling projections highlight the importance of working collectively to prevent harms from substance use and help people who use drugs to access supports.
Actions that can address this problem include improved access to naxolone, supervised consumption sites and safer supply programs, said Tam and Russell.
"While harm reduction interventions are essential, we must not lose sight of the importance of the broader conditions that impact substance use," they said.
They pointed to the broader context in which substance use takes place, saying that efforts like ensuring affordable housing for all, fostering social connection within communities, and supporting positive child and youth development can help prevent substance use-related harms.
Tam and Russell called on jurisdictions to work together on improving how they share and compare data, so that decision-makers have the evidence needed to inform policies and programs.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2021.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
Erika Ibrahim, The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The latest data from a federal special advisory committee on opioid overdoses shows that opioid-related deaths could remain high and even increase in the next six months.
In a statement released today, co-chairs Dr. Theresa Tam and Dr. Jennifer Russell said that the number of deaths and hospitalizations related to opioids remained high in the first half of 2021.
On average, 19 people died and 16 people were hospitalized due to opioid-related overdoses every day.
They added that more than half of opioid-related deaths also involved the use of a stimulant like cocaine or methamphetamine, which underscores how the overdose crisis is tied to the consumption of more than one drug at once.
The data suggests that the people most affected by the overdose crisis are men, people aged 20 to 49, and those who live in Western Canada and Ontario.
Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, and Russell, New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health, said current projections suggest that between 1,200 and 2,000 people could die during each quarter through to June 2022.
They said the modelling projections highlight the importance of working collectively to prevent harms from substance use and help people who use drugs to access supports.
Actions that can address this problem include improved access to naxolone, supervised consumption sites and safer supply programs, said Tam and Russell.
"While harm reduction interventions are essential, we must not lose sight of the importance of the broader conditions that impact substance use," they said.
They pointed to the broader context in which substance use takes place, saying that efforts like ensuring affordable housing for all, fostering social connection within communities, and supporting positive child and youth development can help prevent substance use-related harms.
Tam and Russell called on jurisdictions to work together on improving how they share and compare data, so that decision-makers have the evidence needed to inform policies and programs.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2021.
---
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
Erika Ibrahim, The Canadian Press
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