“If I can help one person tonight by telling his story, it’s worth it,” said Joanne.
Joanne, who lost her son to a lethal mixture of fentanyl and benzodiazepine, was one of several speakers at a well-attended community information session on the opioid epidemic at the Orillia Recreation Centre Tuesday night.
“The coroner said he would have died immediately, that that combination of drugs almost always results in instant death,” continued Joanne, who is a recovering addict herself.
She described her son’s almost decade-long struggles with addiction, detailing his rehab journey at 7 South Street in Orillia, and then his downward spiral after his release, a combination of isolation and lack of social and work options, during the pandemic.
“I knew he had messed up. I had reached out, but it was too late,” said Joanne. “Since then, a whole group of his friends has been lost, too. There is not enough help available, long wait lists, no beds, and not enough supports.”
These were common themes in the discussion and presentation, as speakers talked about the stigma around mental health and addiction, the lack of understanding and knowledge, and the lack of access to naloxone, a fast-acting drug which can temporarily reverse the effects of opioid overdoses.
The event was organized by a trio of Lakehead University Social Work students — Allyson Massiah, Gagan Gill, and Stephanie Madej — along with support from North Simcoe Victim Services (NSVS). Representatives from Narcotics Anonymous were also at the information session which attracted a crowd of more than 40 people.
“There was a list of class projects we could choose from, and our group really wanted to address the issue of the opioid crisis in this area,” said Massiah.
“We thought we would team up with Victim Services and address this important topic. The goal for tonight is to let people know how prevalent opioid addiction is in the area, and how important it is to know about naloxone, to know how to use it, and where to get it," Massiah explained, noting the life-saving drug was used in only one-quarter of opioid-poisoning deaths in the region.
“We want to reduce some of the stigma around addiction as well,” commented Kim Kneeshaw, the executive director of NSVS.
Opioid deaths in the Simcoe-Muskoka region have been disproportionately higher than the average in Ontario since 2009, a gap that has only widened each year, and jumped significantly during the pandemic, attendees were told.
Fentanyl accounted for 90% of all opioid poisoning deaths in Simcoe Muskoka in 2020, it was revealed.
Naloxone kits were made available at the event by Shoppers Drug Mart, and a naloxone trainer from The Lighthouse was on hand to show people how to use the kits. Kits are available for free from Shoppers Drug Mart, and anyone can access them, without having to disclose names, OHIP cards, or any ID.
“Addiction and mental health issues are certainly very prevalent in our area, unfortunately,” said Kneeshaw. “If you can save one person’s life by doing a little bit of education, that’s one less family that our volunteers are going to sit with, because they have lost their loved one.”
