Orkney joins campaign on International Overdose Awareness Day

A statement from the Orkney Alcohol and Drugs Partnership

International Overdose Awareness Day will be marked on 31 August.

International Overdose Awareness Day is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, to remember without stigma those who have died and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind.

The campaign raises awareness of overdose, which is one of the world’s worst public health crises and stimulates action and discussion about evidence-based overdose prevention and drug policy.

The campaign acknowledges the profound grief felt by families and friends whose loved ones have died or suffered permanent injury from a drug overdose.

International Overdose Awareness Day spreads the message about the tragedy of drug overdose death and that drug overdose is preventable.

The goals of International Overdose Awareness Day are:

• To provide an opportunity for people to publicly mourn loved ones in a safe environment, some for the first time without feeling guilt or shame.
• To include the greatest number of people in International Overdose Awareness Day events and encourage non-denominational involvement.
• To give community members information about the issue of fatal and non-fatal overdose.
• To send a strong message to current and former people who use drugs that they are valued.
• To stimulate discussion about overdose prevention and drug policy.
• To provide basic information on the range of support services that are available.
• To prevent and reduce drug-related harm by supporting evidence-based policy and practice.
• To inform people around the world about the risk of overdose.

Orkney is fortunate that we have low drug prevalence rates compared to other areas within Scotland however the county has experienced drug related deaths which have a significant impact across services and the wider community.

The focus for Orkney’s Alcohol and Drugs Partnership is to reduce drug related harm and deaths. To that end on Tuesday 31 August to mark International Overdose Awareness Day, Orkney ADP’s Development Officer, Matthew Thomas, will be spending the day at Orkney Blide Trust, Victoria Street, Kirkwall from 10.00am hosting a drop in where anyone who is interested in learning more about how to prevent overdoses and what to do in an emergency overdose situation can come along to access resources, support and information.

Naloxone will also be available to anyone who wishes to get a kit. Naloxone is a medication which can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. By carrying a Naloxone kit, you could potentially save someone’s life.

More information on overdose can be found on the Orkney ADP website – www.orkneyadp.org.uk