August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day

8/17/2017

A message from Dr. Shannon McDonald, Deputy Chief Medical Officer.

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International Overdose Awareness Day is a global event held on August 31 each year to raise awareness of drug overdose and to reduce the stigma of drug-related death. The day also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends who have lost loved ones to overdose.

Very few of us remain untouched by the overdose crisis here in BC. Two weeks ago, we released new data that confirmed what First Nations leaders long suspected: that First Nations people are over-represented in this public health emergency

But overdose death is preventable—and we cannot forget this.

As a First Nations health organization, we recognize substances are a common coping mechanism for people experiencing long-term pain and trauma. We recognize the root causes of problematic substance use are born out of experiences that are shared by many of our people, including disconnection from land and culture, intergenerational impacts of the residential school system and racism.

While most of us are really familiar with abstinence-based messages regarding drug use, from my experience as a physician, abstinence is not the only path to healing, and it does not work for everyone. The abstinence model often places responsibility on the individual alone. As anyone who struggles with addiction will tell you, addiction isn’t a choice you make, and shame and blame do little to help those who need support.

At FNHA, we support a harm-reduction approach to addressing this crisis. 

But what is harm reduction? At its core, harm-reduction approaches acknowledge that every person deserves to be treated with dignity, respect and compassion. Harm reduction seeks to reduce the harms associated with substance use by providing factual education, preventative measures for substance-related harm and effective alternatives to abstinence. It is a non-judgmental approach that allows for self-determination and choice, which allows us to be a better partner with people on their healing journey. 

We can view this approach as part of our broader work toward reconciliation in that it plays a role in healing the long-term trauma affecting our peoples. It also directly ties to our cultural safety and humility work. Cultural safety, which includes prioritizing trauma-informed approaches to care, is a crucial aspect of mental health and wellness support for First Nations people. 

In the last year, the FNHA has delivered naloxone training in 126 First Nations communities—over half of the communities in BC. Naloxone is an injectable medication that reverses overdose and saves lives. It is available at no cost for First Nations people and no prescriptions are required. All of our combined efforts are crucial in this situation, and we urge you to learn more about naloxone and the SAVE ME technique. Anyone can be affected by overdose, and you never know when you might need this information.

Want to know more? 
• For more information about overdose prevention, please visit www.fnha.ca/overdose
• Watch a short video featuring Gitxsan First Nation member Shane Baker and his personal story of opioid recovery here. See more stories here