NEWS RELEASE
INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY
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International Overdose Awareness Day is Aug. 31 — a day the world will unite to remember those we’ve lost, end stigma and shed light on a global crisis.
About 50 people gathered a few days early, at the Orillia Lighthouse men’s shelter and community soup kitchen with public health nurse Carolyn Jones to participate in making a memory tree.
They held a moment of silence and shared stories of those cherished yet gone now. Clients spoke of a friend who overdosed the night before and is still in critical care at Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital.
We spoke of the global crisis, of pain, of the cycle of addiction, the feeling of hopelessness, and also of ways to reach out for help and hope. We spoke about how to recognize an opioid overdose, and administer naloxone. Five people left the event equipped as ambassadors for life, carrying their naloxone kits so others can have the antidote if needed for an overdose.
“Every day, I remind myself I am not going to get high today. I want to chase my dreams now, not drugs.”
People are more than just an addiction. Every person is full of potential with the power of choice.
The Lighthouse and the new Building Hope project is building hope!
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