Halton police hold flag raising ceremony ahead of Intl. Overdose Awareness Day

Halton Regional Police Service held a flag raising ceremony Wednesday to honour people lost to the ongoing opioid crisis, ahead of International Overdose Awareness Day.

“Death from something that is preventable, leaves … lots of questions,” said Lisa-Marie Burka-Daniels, who works with Halton Healthcare, Mental Health and Addictions.

It’s difficult to pin down when the opioid crisis began, but now everyone knows someone who has been affected by it.

“Knowing that we can take care of people, and people are still having accidental overdoses is a tragedy itself,” said Burka-Daniels.

Aug. 31, marks International Overdose Awareness Day.

It’s a chance to remember those we’ve lost, honour their memory, and raise awareness around the toxic drug epidemic.

“One death is one too many, but fortunately the number has gone down from previous years in the region, and overall, when compared to the province, the numbers are lower,” said Patrick Galange with Halton Region Public Health.

Between January and July of this year, Halton police have responded to 70 known drug poisonings.

A decrease of 72 per cent from the same period last year.

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“We’re doing very careful surveillance of not just our numbers, but any alerts of spikes of opioid-related deaths,” said Galange. “That way, we hope to identify if there is a supply that contains something like carfentanyl in it. That way we can notify the public as soon as we can.”

Another crucial element in saving lives is naloxone.

It may look simple, but it carries a real life-saving power, one that can turn a final moment into another chance at life, and it isn’t just for paramedics.

They’re free, easy to use, and widely available for anyone that wants to be prepared.

“This is a very simple, fast and effective tool that anyone can use to help anyone who’s having an overdose,” said Tom Stirling, the Deputy Chief with Halton Paramedics Services. “What it is, is they’re little plungers filled with naloxone — you don’t have to measure anything. You simply take it out of the package, put it up their nose, and squeeze the plunger,” said Stirling.

“The idea with this is we would like to get this in with anyone who is suffering an overdose sooner rather than later, so if bystanders have these kits and administer naloxone before we get there, they will potentially save a life,” said Stirling.

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