NEWS RELEASE
WELLINGTON GUELPH DRUG STRATEGY
*************************
On Aug. 31, partner organizations of the Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy will host an event to honour the people in Guelph and throughout Canada whose lives have been lost to drug poisoning.
We will gather to remember, respect, and grieve with family, friends, and community members. Activities will include:
- 11:30–11:45 a.m.: Rally at Guelph City Hall
- Advocacy to demand drug policy changes to end the toxic drug poisoning crisis, and to demand appropriate services to meet the needs of substance users, ranging from harm reduction through to treatment, and recovery support
- Noon–1:30 p.m. at Royal Bank Plaza, St. George’s Square
- Sharing words and music to express our grief and loss
- A minute of silence and a die-in
- Pizza will be available.
Families in Guelph who have lost loved ones to opioid poisoning are not alone. Many Canadian families are experiencing loss and grief because of drug poisoning deaths.
- Since 2016, more than 35,000 people have died from opioid-related deaths in Canada.
- In 2022, on average, in Ontario eight people a day died from accidental opioid-related deaths.
- In Guelph, mid-August 2023, there had been at least seventeen accidental opioid-related deaths year-to-date.
Despite ongoing advocacy to all levels of government to change the experience of people who develop dependency to opioids, Canadian policy and practices have not been updated to meet current realities. Fentanyl from the unregulated drug market continues to be the drug most associated with accidental drug poisonings. However, alternatives to the unregulated market are typically not accessible to most Canadians who are addicted to opioids.
Guelph is an exception to the rule. The Guelph Community Health Centre is funded by Health Canada to offer “safe supply”, a harm reduction program that saves lives. This program has over 100 clients benefiting from its care. Unfortunately, the program is not funded at a level that matches the level of community need. Many other organizations in the City of Guelph, such as Sanguen Health Centre, ARCH, Stonehenge Therapeutic Community, CMHA WW, CADS, Portage, Wyndham House, and others are working together to support Guelph residents who struggle with unwanted impacts from substances. Working together, they are dismantling the stigma associated with substance use. They provide a range of harm reduction and treatment services to meet the health needs of people who want to reduce the harm they experience from using substances.
Everyone is invited to attend the IOAD/Drug Poisoning Awareness Event on Aug 31. It will be a time to acknowledge our shared grief while also expressing support for needed policy changes to stop accidental and unwanted drug poisonings and save lives.
*************************
