Many staff and physicians across VCH will be wearing silver ribbons next week to commemorate those who have been lost or injured as a result of an overdose. It also acknowledges the grief felt by family, friends, and peers. International Overdose Awareness Day is August 31. If you’d like a ribbon you can get one at a Harm Reduction unit or Take Home Naloxone site. Harm Reduction Leader Sara Young will be speaking at the local vigil & rally in Vancouver August 31.

Stats

• In the first six months of this year, 105 people have died from an illicit drug overdose in the Metro Region.
• Vancouver has had the most fatal overdoses in all of BC, followed by Surrey then Victoria.
• Fentanyl was detected (alone or in combination with other drugs) in 62% of illicit drug overdose deaths so far this year.
• Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate narcotic, a prescription drug used primarily for cancer patients in severe pain. It is roughly 50 to 100 times more toxic than morphine.
• Overdoses can occur when people take either prescription or illicit substances.

How staff are helping

Staff are implementing a comprehensive response plan focusing on attacking the issue from several angles – preventing overdoses, encouraging safer drug use, and providing treatment options for people with substance use disorders. Some of the most recent actions are:
• A new Substance Use Treatment and Response Team (START), which provides rapid access to at-home detox for those who need help stopping or stabilizing their substance use, was recently opened.
• The number of sites the public can access take-home naloxone kits is ever-increasing. There are currently a total of 60+ sites people can access them across VCH/PHC.
• VCH’s application to Health Canada for several new supervised injection services will be completed this fall.
• By this fall naloxone kits will be available at all 14 emergency departments for nurses and doctors to give to overdose patients to take home with them upon discharge.

Take-home naloxone

Take Home Naloxone (THN) programs provide naloxone, the life-saving antidote used to reverse opioid overdoses, to people who use prescription or illicit opioids, and are at risk of an overdose. It is not intended to replace emergency care or minimize the importance of calling 911. But because 85% of overdoses happen within the company of others, having naloxone offers the opportunity to save a life and reduce harms related to the overdose while waiting for the paramedics to arrive.

Help us prevent overdoses

Please tell your coworkers and clients about this public health crisis. Wear a ribbon on August 31. And consider becoming a site where clients can pick up a take-home naloxone kit.

More info

Visit the VCH overdose page for more information such as:
• how to recognize an overdose
• how to prevent an overdose
• how to use naloxone