The City of Courtenay and AIDS Vancouver Island (AVI) Health and Community Services have partnered to offer free overdose prevention workshops this summer, covering topics such as how to recognize an overdose (both opioid and stimulant), proper disposal of sharps, and hands-on naloxone training, and the most effective way to save a life in the case of an opioid overdose. All participants will learn the broad strokes of harm reduction principles and will receive a free Naloxone kit for their home or workplace.
The free workshop is open to all members of the public but pre-registration is required. Workshops are scheduled for Tuesday, July 20, 7 – 8:30 p.m. or Wednesday, Aug. 18, 7 – 8:30 p.m. at the Florence Filberg Centre Rotary
Hall.
The overdose public health emergency, declared in 2016, has claimed the lives of almost 7,000 British Columbians. 2020 was the worst year on record with about 17,159 overdose events compared to 13,486 in 2019. The BC Centre for Disease Control states that illicit drug toxicity deaths in 2020 exceeded combined deaths from motor vehicle, suicide, and homicide.
Register online at courtenay.ca/reconline or call 250-338-5371 or 250-338-1000.
ALSO: Overdose prevention sites, naloxone kits save thousands of lives in B.C.