International Overdose Awareness Day takes place on August 31st of each year with an aim to raise awareness of overdose, reduce stigma associated with drug related deaths, and remember those who have died or suffered permanent injury due to drug overdose. While awareness of the risk and impact of overdose is always important, it is especially relevant this year as the world experiences the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While everyone has been impacted by the pandemic, many individuals who experience substance use disorders are at an increased risk due to closures, isolation, and changes in services and support. Over the month of April, there was a 50% increase in opioid related deaths in Ontario*. In addition, Hastings and Prince Edward County was one of five regions in the province to see a 30% increase in hospital attended overdoses in 2020 compared to the same period last year.
The impacts of pandemic related isolation, changes in service delivery, and presence of contaminated drugs in the community, have increased the risk of overdose in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. While some support services have had to modify their service delivery model due to the pandemic, individuals who use drugs are encouraged to take steps to use as safely as possible. Harm reduction supplies continue to be available at our Belleville, Trenton, and Bancroft offices. Consider additional precautions to use as safely as possible during the pandemic. If you must use alone, call the Overdose Prevention Line at 1-888-853-8542. When you call this confidential and judgement free service, the operator will stay on the phone with you while you use drugs, and will call 911 and advise of possible overdose if they do not receive a response after drugs are administered.
Overdose can happen to anyone, including people who use street drugs and people who may use a prescription incorrectly. Substance use disorders can also affect anyone, as addiction and mental health disorders are complex, and are impacted by a number of factors outside of their control. It is important that people with substance use disorders are treated with the same dignity and respect as those experiencing any other health issue.
Community members are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the signs of an overdose and know how to respond to an overdose. If you experience a substance use disorder, you are not alone. Visit our mental and emotional health during COVID-19 web page for resources and support options. For more information, visit hpePublicHealth.ca.
