Originally Posted Aug 30, 2023
Today, Thursday, August 31, is International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD), the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose deaths and honour without stigma those who have died from overdose. The IOAD 2023 theme is “Recognizing those people who go unseen.”
In the Niagara region alone, where the regional government declared a state of emergency for homelessness, mental health, and opioid addiction, Emergency Medical Services responded to 402 suspected opioid overdoses from January to July 2023. From January to September 2022, approximately 10 people died, and approximately 9 people were hospitalized per month due to opioid-related causes throughout the region.
In Niagara, vulnerable populations can receive non-judgmental and low-barrier healthcare services from Regional Essential Access to Connected Healthcare (REACH) Niagara. REACH takes a harm reduction approach to care by prioritizing the needs and goals of individuals at high risk for overdose and death. This includes providing mental health supports, addressing addiction concerns, and providing the tools to use substances safely. REACH Niagara is responsible for operating Niagara’s first safer supply program that provides community members with prescriptions for regulated pharmaceuticals as an alternative to unregulated and potentially life-threatening street drugs. Through wrap-around services, this program is already seeing life-changing outcomes where clients have gotten stable and, as a result, have been able to focus on other areas of their lives, such as employment, housing, and reconnecting with their support system.
“Safer supply is a harm reduction-based model of care that aims to prevent overdose-related deaths and increase the overall well-being of individuals in the program,” says Dr. Karim Ali, REACH Niagara’s Medical Director of Safer Supply. “As a newer program, we are starting to see positive results and look forward to continue building on these outcomes. We know the need is in our community, and we are one part of the puzzle in addressing the mental health and addictions crisis Niagara is experiencing.”