Overdose awareness event shines spotlight on impact of drug crisis
By Lethbridge Herald on September 1, 2023.
Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Members of multiple local agencies and groups provide clothes, food, and resources to those in need during an International Overdose Awareness Day event Thursday at Galt Gardens.Alejandra Pulido-Guzman – Lethbridge Herald – apulido@lethbridgherald.com
Multiple local agencies and groups gathered in Galt Gardens Thursday afternoon as part of International Overdose Awareness Day, campaigning to end overdoses and remembering those who have died.
Moms Stop The Harm joined forces with the Alberta Alliance Who Educate and Advocate Responsibly (AAWEAR), Friends of Medicare and Raging Grannies at Galt Gardens to speak loudly against overdoses, provide a meal and clothes to those in need and let them know they do not go unseen.
Lori Hatfield with Moms Stop The Harm, spoke to reporters during the event and said that even though it has not been an annual event – the first one was organized in 2018 with some interruptions in the following years due to lack of support for one year and pandemic restrictions for others – the idea is to continue organizing events on a yearly basis during international overdose awareness day.
“International Overdose Awareness Day is a day where internationally events are held in honouring those that we’ve lost due to the toxic drug supply that is currently raging throughout the entire world, and this year the theme is ‘we see you’ and that’s honouring all the people that support somebody who’s using drugs or have lost somebody to using drugs,” said Hatfield.
She said the day’s events also highlight and honour family members and caregivers, the unsung heroes, support workers, outreach workers, emergency personnel that are out there saving lives every day.
“We’re hoping to be running one every year going forward so reducing stigma which is another big part of International Overdose Awareness Day is vital in order for us to not lose any more people due to the overdose. If people are shamed and stigmatized, they don’t come forward, they don’t look for help, they’re using alone and they’re dying,” said Hatfield.
She said that by getting rid of the stigma and the shame more people will come forward, they will be looking for other avenues.
Volunteer with AAWEAR, Angela Harrison spoke to the Herald during the event and said it is very sad that there is such a stigma attached to addiction since reducing it will be beneficial to those dealing with addictions and she knew that firsthand as someone in recovery.
“I definitely needed that when I was still struggling, kicking dirt in my face wasn’t going to help me,” said Harrison.
She said she has been an addict in recovery since 2015 and she lost her son’s dad to a drug poisoning over a year ago and volunteering for AAWEAR helps her bring awareness to those who are left behind.
“I think that harm reduction serves a place within the pillars of support. My goal would be to bring awareness to the lives that are lost and the people and families that are affected by drug addiction and homelessness and all of the problems in our community,” said Harrison.
She said she also hopes to offer them resources when they are ready but meet them where they are at with compassion.
“Tell them that it is possible to get out of the life they’re living, but while they’re living that life could make safer choices,” said Harrison.
She said that she has found people being open to her suggestions as she can relate to what they are going through.
“I know when I had my own struggles, I had a hard time with counsellors who just have knowledge. It’s good to have all of the self-knowledge and all of those tools, but what’s really impactful for me and changed my life was actually a 12-step program, but it took me a while to get there and not everybody is open to that idea,” said Harrison.
She said she believes something needs to be available for people who are not quite there yet in their journey.
Chair of the local chapter of Friends of Medicare, Bev Muendel-Atherstone said one of the reasons that the health care system is so burdened is because there is nothing in place that actually helps people who get into problematic situations like drug addiction.
“We know that drug addiction is a very complex problem. As Moms Stop The Harm are telling us, we have to see people and understand that these are fellow citizens who for one reason or another have ended up with addictions to very harmful drugs such as fentanyl,” said Muendel-Atherstone.
She said Friends of Medicare is very concerned that there is a lack of cohesion municipally, provincially and federally to work on this problem as an integrated problem.
“It’s a problem of people being subject to violence, people being at the whims of the drug pushers and that’s part of organized crime, and that’s a big issue,” said Muendel-Atherstone.
She said as long as people blame the victim, and they are unable to work together the problem will not go away.
She said city council and the provincial government need to actually work together and understand that these are people, these are our brothers and sisters, these are fellow Albertans who are dealing with a by-product of organized crime.
“We need more beds in treatment recovery, we need more wrap around services, to honour the people who have died, to say we understand that this is a big problem, it’s not just a health problem, it’s not your problem, it’s our problem, and by honouring all those who have died we’re saying we realize this is a social problem in our society. We need to deal with it, we cannot just sit back and say it’s your individual problem, this is a malaise of our society,” said Muendel-Atherstone.
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There are some great points made, but harm reduction is one awful policy that you support that British Columbia has demonstrated is an absolute disaster. Twenty years of harm reduction attempts are more than enough concrete proof that it is ineffective.
The financing should be concentrated on addiction and mental health treatment, and those other groups that receive all of the donations and government support should be defunded so that the funds may be used for housing and treatment.
We need more, more, more ad infinitum. What happens when there is nothing left to give? Self-responsibility.. an unknown word it seems. Everyone thinks that ‘if only’ they had this, or had that, that it would be all better and addiction would just go away. False. Sobriety comes to those who have surrendered and said I’ve had enough and DO something about it. Don’t you think after 1,000’s of years people would have gotten this by now. I don’t know one person who got sober because someone gave them food, clothing, housing… it just does not work that way. Your helping them to the extreme, is actually killing them.