As Greater Sudbury and Northern Ontario in general continue to struggle with high rates of drug poisoning and death from illicit substances, International Overdose Awareness Day, which is today, takes on special significance.
As the Sudbury Board of Health was told back in May, Sudbury opioid overdose rate was 49.2 deaths per 100,000 population, versus the provincial rate of 18.8 deaths per 100,000, far outstripping the provincial average.
Citing federal government data, Réseau said statistics show that in 31 months, from January 2021 to July 2023, 329 people died from a suspected or confirmed opioid-related overdose death in the region. This excludes deaths by stimulant and alcohol overdoses. In 2023, from January to July, 67 friends, family and members of this district have died of a suspected overdose.
Nationally, there was a total of 36,442 apparent opioid toxicity deaths between January 2016 and December 2022 — 7,328 apparent opioid toxicity deaths occurred in 2022 alone, Réseau said the stats show. This is an average of 20 deaths per day.
Males accounted for the majority of accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths (74 per cent) in 2022 and the majority of accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths were among individuals aged 20 to 59 years.
In a news release, Réseau ACCESS Network in Sudbury highlighted several initiatives planned for the day.
“Observed on Aug. 31 every year, International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) seeks to create better understanding of overdose, reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths, and create change that reduces the harms associated with drug use,” Réseau said.
“The crisis of toxic, unregulated drugs has shown no sign of abating,” said Amber Fritz, manager of the city’s supervised consumption site, in a news release. “People continue to die preventable deaths, leaving behind grieving families and communities. It is clear that the status quo is not working. Harm reduction initiatives across the country need to be expanded and supported, not attacked and defunded.”
From Aug. 28 to Sept. 1, Réseau ACCESS Network will be illuminating the spaces purple at 111 Larch St. “There is currently a call out to local businesses, organizations, and community members to illuminate their space purple during the same timeframe. The Big Nickel will be illuminated purple on the evening of Aug. 31.”
A knowledge exchange with Dokis First Nation is also planned to take place at the community’s health centre today at 11 a.m. A sacred fire, awareness walk and lunch is planned.
“Afterwards, Réseau ACCESS Network will facilitate a knowledge exchange and community discussion regarding overdose Recognition and Response with Naloxone.”
Community arts organization Myths and Mirrors is partnering with the local supervised consumption site for a workshop to memorialize those lost to drug poisoning. “The workshop will provide a safe space to express grief through art and facilitate moments of healing and solidarity.”
Réseau also plans on rolling out a series of messages on substance abuse, prejudice, drug toxicity and poisoning, prohibition and drug policy on its various social media platforms over the course of the day as well.
Members of the community are also invited to take in a silent auction of artwork by people with lived experience of poverty, housing insecurity and unregulated substance at Sudbury Indie Cinema Co-Op, 162 MacKenzie St. The auction runs from Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. to Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. All proceeds will be given directly to the artists.
And finally, the Indie has partnered with Lost Time Media to showcase a film on Aug. 31. “Love in the Time of Fentanyl” is about a group of misfits, artists and drug users that operate a renegade supervised consumption site in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Admission is free and the show time is 7 p.m.
“I would say that prohibition and drug criminalization are directly implicated in the drug poisoning crisis,” said Kaela Pelland, director of peer engagement at Réseau ACCESS Network, in the news release. “Drug criminalization is moralist, classist, racist, and extremely costly. It has not decreased substance use, it has not reduced transmission of infections or diseases, nor has it enriched the lives of communities. Yet, it continues to be well-funded.
“It disturbs me that some folks, many of whom are already structurally marginalized, are doomed to death or adverse health effects because they use a criminalized drug instead of a legalized one. The folks on the front lines of this crisis are people who use drugs, they are the first responders who have been actively keeping their friends and communities alive when the system continues to fail them. To every single person who has responded to an overdose, whether it was successful or not, thank you from every part of my heart.”
